


It Takes a Village: Spring

by Tofu_Monstrosity



Series: It Takes A Village [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: ALL OF IT, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angela and Jesse are siblings, Child Hana "D.Va" Song, Everyone is in this, I love the bird moms, I rewrote the canon, Jack and Gabe own a bar, Minor Background Relationships, More characters as they appear, Multi, Pharmercy, Useful Lesbians, everyone is five years younger, except Hana, past trauma, they are all dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-10-07 20:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17372549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tofu_Monstrosity/pseuds/Tofu_Monstrosity
Summary: Angela has been married to her beautiful wife Fareeha for going on three years now. While the marriage has been happy, Angela craves something more. A child.Of course, adoption is easier said than done. Especially when both your dads have some opinion, your mother-in-law needs to know everything, and your brother is just excited to be called "uncle".UPDATE: I have a new editor!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for stopping by for my first fanfiction on this site! As always, please feel free to leave comments, ask questions and critique my work. My updating schedule will be a bit sporadic but hang in there, I got pages and pages of notes for this one. I made everyone 5 years younger (except Hana and you'll see why).  
> If you're interested in my work in other fandoms please feel free to check out my Deviantart, Fanfiction.net account and Fimfiction account all under the same name. Maybe one day I'll dump everything here. I have a Tumblr where you can ask me things and I'll be posting my own fanart over here: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tofuwritesthings  
> Thank you!

The sunset over the Bay of Gibraltar provided the perfect backdrop for what she was about to do. The bright oranges and yellows completely juxtaposed the churning in her stomach. The tall blonde woman stood in the doorway leading to her back patio. In each of her trembling hands was a drink, mojitos. She took a deep breath.

She was Doctor Angela Ziegler, top neurosurgeon in the country. She worked hard for that title and harder still for the recognition that came with it. She was a fighter though, had been all her life. She fought tooth and nail through the Swiss foster care system after her parents died when she was young. She was finally adopted at age seven, after being a ward of the state for several years.

So standing on the brink of the uncertain wasn’t a foreign concept to her. And in any other situation she would dive head-first into it.

This? This was different.

Because the uncertainty she faced this time did not involve the critical stares of her peers. It wasn’t the uncertainty of leaving Switzerland and moving to America. This was worse. This uncertainty involved the very thing she loved on this planet more than anything else.

Her wife.

Sitting in a lounge chair before her; feet propped up, sunglasses covering her eyes, and a novel in her hands; was her wife of going on three years: Fareeha Amari. The setting sun cast harsh shadows that made the woman far more intimidating than she already was. Angela had to swallow the bile that threatened to rise up in her throat as she took a seat in the empty patio chair reserved for her.

Angela took a moment to study the sharp contours of her wife’s face as she closed her book and sat upright. She took off her sunglasses revealing her dark eyes and distinguishing tattoo. Her face lit up in a smile, and she reached for one of the drinks that Angela forgot she was holding. “For me?” she asked with a hint of glee in her voice as she pried the drink from her wife. She took a sip and relaxed. “You sure do make a good drink, Ange.” She licked her lips to taste the mint.

Angela, for all her grace and composure, stared at the young woman in front of her with a vacant expression. Her throat was dry; the words she had been rehearsing all day fled her brain like a rabbit under the eye of a coyote.

Fareeha was never one to miss a beat. She waved an olive-skinned hand in front of the blank-faced doctor. “Angie?” Her Egyptian-accented English brought the blonde back down to earth. “Angela, is everything OK?” she asked, concern spreading across her features.

Angela became mesmerized with her drink. She had prepared what to say in her head for the past week now. Every time the opportunity to confront her wife came up, she chickened out. She told herself that this was it. Today was the day. Friday. Fareeha didn’t have to work until the following Wednesday. Her job as a campus security guard at the local university meant she had the same breaks that the students did. It was now or never.

“Fareeha, remember when we house-sat for my fathers last month?” Angela’s piercing blue eyes bore into Fareeha’s brown ones as the latter woman smiled.

“How could I forget? That damn dog of theirs was a hassle and a half!” She laughed the musical tone that was like a melody to the Swiss-born doctor. “It was fun though,” she admitted after her laughter subsided and a far-off smile took its place on her lips. “Kinda like watching a 2-year-old…” She reminisced about the 130-pound lap dog that was Bastion. A puppy of 10 months that needed constant supervision otherwise he would run after every bird he saw.

“Fareeha, I want a child.” Angela spat the words out as if they tasted bitter. She dared not make eye-contact with her wife and instead opted to stare at the concrete patio. “I’ve been thinking about it for the past several months now. When we dog-sat for my dads it felt…I don’t know…like filling a void that I didn’t know was there,” Angela rambled, not noticing the smile that grew with each passing second on Fareeha’s face. “You even said so yourself, watching that dog was like having a child.” She stared at the ice cubes dancing with the lime slices in her drink. “I know it’s a big deal, and I just…I…” Her stammering was cut off as Fareeha’s lips met hers in surprise.

It took Angela’s brain a few seconds to catch up with the moment. In those seconds Fareeha broke off the kiss but stayed only a hair’s breadth away from her lover. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear that from you,” she said breathlessly.

Angela’s brain went dark again. “You what?” were the only words to come out of Angela’s mouth as Fareeha laughed and sat back on her patio chair.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now too. I mean, we have this gorgeous three bedroom house and nothing to fill it.” She gestured to their house that sat not far from the cliff that dropped into the bay. “I just didn’t say anything because I know how you are with work.” Fareeha was quick to put her hands up defensively before Angela could open her mouth to protest that she was, in fact, not a workaholic. “I love that about you!” she added, “I just wanted to wait until a time when you felt it was right.”

Angela was silent for what felt like an eternity. When she finally did speak, her voice was shaky from suppressed emotion. “You want a child too?” Fareeha rolled her eyes. For as smart as her wife was, when it came to personal matters Angela was up a creek without a paddle.

Fareeha scooted the patio chair closer. She took Angela's forgotten drink and set it on the ground before taking Angela’s hands in her own. She looked intensely at her wife. “Yes. I do, _habibata,_ ” she stated and brought the woman’s hands to her lips and gently kissed her.

The next thing the Egyptian woman knew she was being tackled by 120 pounds of Swiss affection as Angela threw herself into Fareeha. She planted kisses all up and down the Egyptian’s neck and jaw. “I love you.” She murmured over and over between each kiss.

Fareeha had to laugh as she wrapped her arms around her lover. She reveled in it. “Have you thought about options?” she asked, bringing the blonde back from where she currently resided over the moon. Angela sat up and composed herself a bit.

“Well, I have actually.” She started twiddling a stray strand of hair that fell out of her pony tail. It was a nervous habit of hers. “I want to adopt. Like my fathers did.”

Fareeha didn’t think the smile on her face could get bigger, but it did. She immediately stood and swept the doctor up and twirled her. It was easy considering that Fareeha (though five years younger) was taller than her wife and she could lift things almost twice her size. “That is a wonderful idea!” She cheered and kissed Angela, deeper this time. When she pulled away she checked the time on the digital clock that hung above their patio door. “My mother gets off work in an hour. Let’s go to the bar. I know she’ll come there after her shift. We can tell everyone!” Fareeha’s enthusiasm was almost overwhelming.

“Already?” Angela asked before being swept inside their home.

“No better time like the present!” Fareeha rushed to put on her shoes. The bar they had in mind (the only one they ever went to) was down the street in the city proper. It was within walking distance. “We have to celebrate! And I’m sure Jack and Gabe will be thrilled! Not to mention Jesse!” she added as she walked over to her wife and wrapped her arms around Angela’s waist. Fareeha’s enthusiasm was intoxicating.

“Alright.” Angela couldn't hide the smile on her lips if she wanted to.

\----

The nightlife in Gibraltar comprised mostly of fishermen, tourists and college students. Yet most of the locals knew of this particular bar nestled between the local butcher shop/deli and the auto mechanic.

It was one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” places. The façade was inconspicuous: the dark wood didn’t draw the eye and there was no neon sign pointing the way in. In fact one would be hard-pressed to find a sign anywhere on the building that identified it for what it was. It was almost like the owners wanted it to remain anonymous to the outside world.

The inside was the complete opposite.

The two young women stepped through the door and into a mass cacophony of smells and sounds. To the immediate left was the bar that spanned the length of the wall. The old dark wood had notches in it from countless people wanting to leave their mark on this piece of heaven. Fareeha knew where she had scratched in “FA + AZ” years ago.

The two women were greeted with a wave from someone behind the bar. “Fancy seein’ you two out ‘ere tonight!” came the chipper greeting of one of the staff in her thick British accent. Fareeha led her lover towards the bar. There was a young woman who stood behind it cleaning several glasses.

“Hi Lena.” Fareeha greeted and she took a seat after offering Angela one first. Lena was one of the employees; she was a fresh face around here. She only transferred to the local university last year but the 21-year-old woman felt right at home and quickly got a job to help pay tuition.

“Can I get you anythin’ ta drink, loves?” Lena asked as she set the clean cups down before she was bombarded with the next bin full of dirty dishes carried in by her coworker.

“Sorry Lena,” the young man who set the bin down apologized. He seemed out of place in a bar like this. His dreadlocks and top-of-the-line headphones slung around his neck made him stick out from the normal crowd of worn fishermen and broke students.

“Damnit Lúcio.” Lena cursed at him. “I just got done clean’n the last batch ya sent me!” She grumbled something about dishwashers as she carried the bin further down the bar where the large industrial sink was. The young man turned back to Angela and Fareeha.

“Oh hi girls, I didn’t see you there. We’ve been pretty busy around here,” the young man greeted the two women sheepishly. He appeared to be the same age as Lena and also had an accent though his flair was more Portuguese than British.

“We can tell.” Fareeha laughed while Angela looked around nervously.

“Sis!” A deep voice with a thick southern United States accent alerted Angela to the newcomer. A man came out from the kitchen and she immediately sat up straighter on her bar stool. He was a gruff-looking man with an unkempt beard and dressed as if he was ripped off of the pages of the western section of a Halloween catalogue. “Good ta see ya!” He greeted and sauntered up to the bar. The spurs on his boots jingled with every movement. He leaned over and hugged the woman. “I thought you were "too busy to come out" tonight.” He quirked a bemused eyebrow up with a smirk on his face.

“It’s good to see you too, Jesse,” Angela dead-panned back at him, not finding his jab very funny. Jesse laughed and ruffled her hair.

"You know I tease." He grinned before adjusting his Stetson. “’Reeha!” He turned his attention to his adoptive sister's wife and hugged her as well. “What brings ya both out here tonight?” he asked them, leaning casually against the back of the bar.

“Well we were-” Angela began to explain to her brother, before Fareeha stepped in and cut her off.

“We have some big news we wanted everyone to hear,” she announced, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

“Ooo what kind ‘a news?” Like a flash Lena was back.

“The good kind I hope.” Lúcio raised an eyebrow and then visibly relaxed when Fareeha nodded in the affirmative.

“Lemme guess. You wanna wait until Jack ‘n Gabe are free and Ana gets here?” Jesse asked. Angela nodded and Jesse shrugged. “Well you know dads; they’re fightin’ about somethin’ or other in the back.”

“Is it the big kind of news?” Lena interrupted. She wanted to steer the conversation into something she cared about more than the relationship status of her bosses.

“The biggest,” Fareeha teased with a glint of mischief in her eyes that made Lena squeal in excitement.

Angela rolled her eyes. “Can we get those drinks now?” she asked, hoping the liquid courage would settle the butterflies in her stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

Angela was three glasses of wine deep before Ana decided to show up. Bar patrons came and went but she and Fareeha were fixtures, chatting with the staff when Ana walked in. The older woman took her place at the bar in the seat next to Angela.

“The usual, Jesse,” she ordered with a sigh. She looked tired.

“Rough day?” Fareeha spoke up, finding it amusing that her mother didn’t recognize them when she sat down. Startled, the older Amari nearly jumped out of her chair.

“Fareeha!” She squawked. “Angela!” She looked them both over with her good eye. “I am surprised to see you both here. I thought you were staying home tonight,” she explained once her heart palpitations ceased. Jesse passed her the usual - a whiskey and soda.

“Why does everyone always think we’re staying home?” Angela muttered louder than she intended. The wine tingled her tongue. She always argued that she wasn’t a lightweight despite Fareeha's and Jesse’s assurance that she was.

“No offense, love,” it was Lena’s turn to interject into the conversation. “Ya don’t really get out much.” She finished making a round of drinks for Lúcio to take out to the dining floor

Angela’s face contorted in what looked to be disgust. Ana laughed, her raspy voice was akin to her daughter’s. “It is easy to tease you doctor.” She admitted before taking a long swig of her drink.

“How was work?” Fareeha took this moment to change the subject quick as she saw her wife open her mouth to protest.

Ana sighed and set the now-empty cup on the bar. Jesse was quick to give her another one. “Oh, the usual - a few traffic stops, that graffiti artist is back again, and that damn new girl is getting on my nerves.” Ana took another sip of her drink, slower this time. She rubbed her temples in frustration. The older Amari was a sergeant at the local police office. Their little section of town didn’t see much crime.

“New girl?” Fareeha asked. She hadn’t heard of anyone new at her mother’s work.

Ana nodded, “Our newest recruit, Elizabeth…something,” she explained not caring much to remember her subordinate’s name. Jesse groaned as he took empty cups to clean in the sink furthest away from the conversation. “It’s only her second day. She’s very…eager. Almost too much.” A sparkle of recognition lit up in Angela's eyes.

“Wait.” She held a hand up as if to physically stop the conversation. She didn’t notice Lúcio sneak in and snag her empty wine glass. “Her name isn’t Elizabeth Ashe is it?” she asked. Ana tapped a finger on her chin in thought.

“That sounds familiar. Yes, I think so.” Ana replied, and Angela threw her head back in uproarious laughter. Fareeha stared in confusion.

“Jesse! Your ex-girlfriend is on the police force!” she all but screamed as she almost doubled over in laughter. Lena’s jaw fell and Lúcio’s eyes went wide. Jesse rolled his eyes.

“Jesse, you had a girlfriend?” was Lena’s first question. She looked appalled as she buzzed over to him. She couldn't picture Jesse with anyone but his husband.

“Does Hanzo know?” Lúcio piped up behind her. As long as the two had known him, Jesse was married to Hanzo. Fareeha was completely flabbergasted. Ana burst into laughter as she and Angela had to hold each other up otherwise they would collapse to the floor.

“Yes, Han knows.” He sighed. “Ashe and I were a thing several years ago is all. We were kids back then.” He tried to shrug off his sister's attempts at revenge teasing. He knew that his ex-girlfriend was trying for the police force; social media is wonderful that way. “Mind you, this was all before I met Hanzo. I was like 22," he was quick to add. Lena nodded.

“He was going to propose to her!” Angela exclaimed between fits of giggles.

Jesse’s face reddened. If it was a blush of embarrassment or a flare with anger, Fareeha couldn’t tell. She took another sip of her wine; unlike her wife she tended to savor it. “I can’t believe you hid this from us.” she looked mock hurt.

“I didn’t think it was necessary to tell you the history of my love life.” Jesse stiffened. “And we only dated for a few months.” He tried to shrug it off. “She cheated on me anyway.”

“Oh yeah!” Angela wiped a tear from her eye that had formed from laughing. “I remember that, what was his name…?” She thought aloud, her inhibitions loosened as the wine went to her head. “Bob was it? I wonder what he’s doing now…”

“They’re married,” Jesse curtly responded. It was better to get the Band-Aid off all at once. Angela and Ana erupted in laughter again, neither doing a good job at holding the other one up. Fareeha, Lúcio and Lena even laughed at Jesse’s expense. He shrugged. “It’s not like I care much anyway. Hanzo and I are happy.”

“Of course!” Ana answered once she gained her composure again.

“We’re only teasing you,” Angela added once her breathing returned to normal. She made sure she had his attention when she mouthed the word "Payback".

“What is all this ruckus going on? Am I going to have to kick out another drunk?” A loud booming voice was all the warning the small group of friends got before one of the bar's co-owners stormed up. He looked more like a bouncer than a bar owner, and according to him he felt more like a bouncer too. His skin was dark but the scars that ran across his face were prominent. Atop his head he wore a beanie over his curly mop of black and his goatee was better taken care of than Jesse's beard. He was Gabriel Reyes, half owner of The Watchpoint bar. “ _Mi angelita_!” His gruff demeanor dissipated when he saw his daughter. He smiled as he went around the bar to hug Angela. “What brings you to our neck of the woods?” he asked as he hugged Fareeha as well.

“Angie and ‘Reeha said that they have some important news to announce,” Jesse told his father as he used a rag to clean the bar, thankful for his father’s interruption.

“News? What news?” Gabriel asked looking to Angela and Fareeha suspiciously. Ana seemed interested too as she looked around her old friend to peer at her daughter.

“They wanted to wait until everyone was here before announcing anything,” Lúcio added as he leaned on the bar.

“What about Genji?” Lena asked in reference to the other server who worked at the bar. She turned to Jesse to see if he knew where his roommate was.

“It’s Genji’s day off. Lord knows what he’s doing.” Jesse shrugged. “He’s probably fussing over that damn cat of his.” He grumbled and rolled his eyes.

“Aw but I like Zenyatta!” Lena pouted as she fixed a drink for another customer. “Remember when he brought him in that one time?” She grinned before handing the drink off.

“I swear I still have orange cat hairs on my favorite sweater,” Gabriel groaned.

“Yeah, well he and the girl next door to here, the mechanic’s daughter,” Jesse waved his hand dismissively. “They want to start a cat café here in town.” Lena and Lúcio gushed in excitement and muttered to each other how that was the best idea anyone has ever had in this small town.

“Well if Genji is gone, that only leaves Jack.” Gabriel thought aloud. “Jack!” he yelled, causing half the patrons of the bar to quiet.

A man came out of the door marked "Employees Only". He was of similar build to Gabriel. His once blonde hair was now white. Scars trailed down his face and the glasses perched on his nose did little to hide them. He smiled seeing Ana, his old friend and nodded her way. The three had a long history; they fought side-by-side in the Omnic Crisis all those years ago. 

“Hi Angela.” Jack’s smile was warm as he walked up and kissed her cheek. “Hi Fareeha.” He hugged his daughter-in-law. Angela was thankful that he didn’t question her whereabouts like everyone else did.

“Angela and Fareeha have some sort of announcement to make.” Gabriel filled his lover in. Jack arched an eyebrow in interest. Angela felt her stomach start to do flips. She wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or the alcohol. She stole a glance at Fareeha whose warm smile was reassuring and quelled the unrest in her gut. It seemed that the entire bar was silent as the eyes of her friends were all focused on her. She cleared her dry throat and reached for her glass of wine to find it missing. She couldn’t hold out any longer.

“Fareeha and I were talking,” she started and found herself reaching for her wife’s hand. Fareeha grabbed it. “We would like to adopt a child,” she explained as she met with a shocked silence. Jesse's eyes went wide, Gabriel's jaw dropped and a huge smile grew on Lena's face.

First to speak up after a moment was Lena as she bounced up and down excitedly. “You guys! This is awesome news!” she practically yelled as she all but leaped over the bar to pull the two women in a hug.

“Well I’ll be.” Jesse grinned and tipped his hat. The smile he wore on his face was so large it hurt. Lena let go of the hug but still bounced on her feet happily.

“You'll be an uncle!” Lúcio elbowed Jesse in the ribs light-heartedly. Fareeha looked towards the three statues who had yet to comment. Ana, Jack and Gabriel were stunned silent. It was Gabriel who broke the silence first as a large grin spread across his face.

“ _MIJAS!_ ” Gabriel’s emphatic voice actually did silence the bar momentarily. He wrapped his huge arms around both Angela and Fareeha and pulled them in a tight hug. "This is wonderful news!”

“Have you thought about logistics?” came Jack’s deadpan reasoning. Angela had to stifle a short laugh. Of course the first thing her father would think about were technicalities. Gabriel broke off the hug so that the two women could breathe and he rolled his eyes.

“My sweet _cabrón_ ,” Gabriel walked over to Jack and smacked the back of his head “These are our daughters you are talking about. Of course they have thought of logistics!”

“Actually, we were hoping you would help us,” Angela interjected. Gabriel turned to face her with his eyes wide with excitement. Jack was surprised; it wasn’t often Angela asked for help. “You both know the process better than we do,” she explained.

The only person who hadn’t spoken was Ana. Fareeha nervously shot her mother a glance. The elder Amari took a deep breath as if to steady herself. “I’m going to be a grandmother?” she asked, her voice was wavering and Fareeha could feel her heart begin to pound in her head. She worried about what her mother would think, Ana's face was unreadable. Their relationship hadn’t been a typical mother/daughter relationship. Fareeha was independent - she had to be after thinking her mother was dead for so many years. She wondered if she should have asked her mother for her opinion first. “I never thought I’d live to see the day.” Ana finally finished her thought as she got up from the bar stool and hugged her daughter. “I am so proud of you,” she whispered in her daughter’s ear, and Fareeha hugged her mother back.

“Are ya gonna get a boy ‘er a girl?” Lena chirped appearing between Angela and Fareeha.

“We haven’t really talked about it…” Angela replied.

“Oh, ok so are ya gonna get a baby or like a teenager?” Lena asked. Apparently she had a laundry list of questions.

“We don’t really…” Angela tried to answer but Lena was quick to cut her off.

“Where are ya gonna get it from?”

“Lena! They’re adopting a child, not a dog!” Jesse interrupted Lena’s bombardment of questions. “Now get back over here, you still have a job to do,” He instructed and Lena hopped back over the bar.

“I don’t really have a preference actually,” Angela spoke up and looked to Fareeha for her opinion. The woman in question shrugged.

“I think I’d like a girl,” she mentioned.

“Huh. I would think you would want a boy,” Lúcio interjected. “You could teach him how to box!” He mimicked a (quite terrible) left hook as if for emphasis.

“And what makes you think I can’t teach a girl to box?” she smirked, and Lúcio immediately regretted opening his mouth. He sheepishly went back to pouring cocktails.

“Well, I think you should get a girl,” Ana stated crossing her arms for emphasis. “And make sure she has personality too, not some cardboard-cutout kid.”

“Again, we are talking about a child!” Jesse threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out Ange.” He reassured his sister who appreciated it. The bombardment of questions was beginning to get overwhelming.

“We can help with the application papers,” Jack spoke up, offering help instead of his opinion.

“ _Si_! The process hasn’t changed much I’m sure.” Gabriel shrugged.

“Dad, you pulled me out of a gang in Los Angeles. There really wasn’t any 'process' to speak of.” Jesse sighed as he closed out a tab for a customer.

“Details _vaquero_ ,” Gabriel waved him off. “We would love to help. How about dinner tomorrow night at our place?” He looked to everyone assembled.

“Can’t. I got a paper due,” Lúcio spoke first with a shrug.

“Wish I could but I got track practice tomorrow,” Lena added. With them out, Gabriel looked to everyone else.

“I’ll check with Hanzo, but I think we’re free.” Jesse cashed out another customer.

“Reinhardt and I will be there,” Ana confirmed.

“Great!” Gabriel put his hands together as if to solidify the plans. He didn’t wait for Angela and Fareeha's answer.

“Don’t you want to know if we can come?” Fareeha was quick to point out his mistake. After all, they were at the center of this impromptu “family meeting”. She found it rude to not invite them.

Gabriel waved a hand dismissively. “I assumed you both could come. You never go out.” He shrugged with a mischievous smirk on his face. He was right. Angela let out a long exasperated groan as everyone laughed at her expense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: This came about after playing way too many hours of SIMS.


	3. Chapter 3

Angela clutched the folder she carried closer to her chest. She and Fareeha crossed the street from their home to where Angela’s fathers lived. When the family first moved to Gibraltar, Jack and Gabriel bought the house next to Ana. When Angela moved out she didn’t want to live far from her fathers. So when the house across the street went up for sale, she bought it. Jesse lived with her for a while until he decided to get his own place. He denies that he only bought the house next door to his sister because it happened to be for sale. Everyone knew that it was because he too didn’t want to be far either.

“Angie,” Fareeha hooked her arm through the space Angela’s made, “It’ll be alright.” She eyed the way Angela’s knuckles turned white. The doctor looked to her wife then back at the plain blue folder in her grip. She had to tell herself to relax.

“Right.” She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as they walked up the porch to her fathers’ home. Fareeha smiled reassuringly before knocking on the door. Even though they regularly visited she still thought it polite to knock first.

That was a mistake as loud barking came from the other side of the door. “Bastion!” A voice that was distinctively Jack's yelled, "Get back.” The door opened and Jack used his foot to hold the large mastiff at bay. “Hi girls, come in.” He opened the door to let his guests inside.

Jack hugged both women in greeting and Bastion was quick to jump all over Fareeha. With a laugh she stopped to pet the dog, lest his tail wag off of his body. Together, they entered the kitchen where everyone was already standing around. Gabriel flitted around, wearing his “Be Nice to Me or I’ll Poison Your Food” apron that Jesse got him for his birthday. Thankfully, Gabriel always did the cooking in their household - Jack burned water. 

Ana stood on one side of the kitchen island with a wine glass in her hand. She was talking to Gabriel as he moved about purposefully. Standing next to her was this brute of a man who would have to duck his head to enter any doorway. His silver hair almost matched Ana’s in color and was almost as long. He too only had one good eye after one was blinded during the Omnic Crisis. He was Reinhardt Wilhelm, an old friend and professor of European History. Only recently did he start dating Ana, a fact Fareeha was still trying to come to terms with.

Sitting at the dining room table not far off was Jesse and his husband Hanzo Shimada. Hanzo was about as tall as Jesse but leaner in build. Personality wise, Hanzo was Jesse’s polar opposite. Where Jesse was outspoken and goofy, Hanzo was a reserved and thoughtful man. He was a photographer by trade who came to Gibraltar four years ago on assignment from Hanamura, Japan. He fell hard for the charming cowboy, so he stayed and they married two years later. Where Jesse wore his cowboy hat and spurs wherever he went, Hanzo always had his black hair tied back with a ribbon. For how opposite they seemed they were actually two peas in a pod.

  
No one noticed the two new arrivals until Fareeha set the bottle of wine they brought on the kitchen island. Then everyone’s attention was on them. “Fareeha!” Reinhardt greeted in his resounding voice. He got up and hugged the women; his arms were so large that they engulfed them both. “Angela! It is good to see you my friends!” He grinned as he pulled away. “Ana has told me you plan on adopting a child! How wonderful of you!” Fareeha nodded as he let go.

“We got all the papers here.” She gestured to the folder Angela held in her vice grip. She dared not pry that folder away from her wife.

“Food first,” scolded Gabriel as he waved his spatula. Bastion was quick to gallop over and lick up whatever goodies fell to the floor. Everyone gathered in the kitchen so Gabriel could serve up his secret family recipe taco casserole. Angela made sure the folder wasn’t far out of her sight when she sat down in the dining room. Fareeha knew how high her wife’s anxiety was so when she sat next to her she placed a comforting hand on her thigh, to which Angela was grateful.

“Sooo where you plannin’ on adoptin’ from?” Jesse spoke up first with his mouth still full of casserole. He earned glares from both Gabriel and Hanzo for his lack of manners.

“We don’t know yet,” Fareeha answered simply. “We were discussing it and we were thinking one of the countries hit hardest during the Omnic Crisis,” She explained before taking another bite. Even though the actual fighting was 25 years over, many countries were still rebuilding from the war. Currently, human and omnic tensions were almost near a breaking point. Rumors spread through the UN that a second Omnic Crisis was on the horizon. The recent assassination of a well-loved omnic peacekeeper was starting to tip the scales.

Jack nodded and looked thoughtful as he placed his fork down to take a sip of his wine. “And what have you narrowed it down to?” he asked, his icy blue eyes falling on Angela as she set her wine glass down.

“Russia and South Korea.” She answered, “Russia still has the semi-dormant Omnium and South Korea still fights with the gwishin omnics every few years.” Jack’s gaze fell on the folder that sat between them. Angela let him pick it up. Jack opened the folder and pushed his glasses up his nose to read Angela’s meticulous notes in her semi-legible handwriting. Despite years of Jesse and Angela telling him to get bifocals he adamantly refused, stating they made him look “too old”.

It felt like time had stopped as everyone held their breath as Jack read. “I’m sure you’ve read through the requirements?” he finally asked as he looked up to his daughter and closed the folder, setting it back down.

Angela nodded. “Three times. There’s the background check for both of us, meeting with the adoption attorney, and a mandatory home visit.” 

“They gotta go through your home?” Jesse looked appalled to which Fareeha nodded.

“To make sure we’re not some crazy ladies.” She shrugged.

“Could’a fooled me…” Jesse mumbled, barely audible but Hanzo elbowed him in the ribs anyway. Jesse rubbed the sore spot where he was elbowed twice now in the past two days.

“Do you not also have to visit the country that you plan adopting from?” Hanzo spoke up for the first time in the evening. Fareeha nodded in reply and took a sip of her wine before speaking.

“We will once we narrow down our search. But we can’t do anything until the application goes through and we’re accepted.” She explained.

“We just need an attorney to represent us going forward,” Angela finished.

“I think I can help you there.” Gabriel wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Our adoption attorney has long since retired but I know his firm is still going. I can give them a call.” He offered. Angela visibly relaxed.

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” she sighed with relief.

“Now that you’ve narrowed it down to two countries,” Ana set her teacup down, “Have you thought about what else you would like in a child?”

Angela took a deep breath as her tension built right back up. She knew this question was coming. “I was seven when dad found me.” She stated, the subject of her life before Jack was one she didn’t like to talk about. The only thing Angela would ever confirm was that her birth parents were killed in an omnic attack in Zürich. No one pushed her to delve any further. “So we were looking at children around that age range. Since we’ve decided to adopt from a different country, infants and babies are off the table.”

“That means all that messy stuff is already over and done with so that’s good.” Jesse was elbowed in the ribs again by his husband. He was sure he was bruised by now.

“That is very noble of you!” Reinhardt added with the same amount of enthusiasm he had for everything.

  
“And I would still like a girl,” Fareeha tacked on.

“Yes!” Reinhardt bellowed. The sound causing Bastion to jump up from where he was lying next to Jack. “I will learn how to braid hair so that I may braid hers!” 

“I can take the little one down to the range and teach her how to shoot.” Jesse tipped his hat.

“You will not teach my daughter how to shoot. That will be my job,” Fareeha stated with a smug smile while Angela nearly had a heart attack. The rest of the conversation devolved into who will teach the newest family member what.

 

\----

 

Weeks passed by as spring was now in full swing. The buds on the trees began to bloom and leaves rustled in the crisp spring air. Birds sung their songs and it filled the sparse streets with life. Angela loved the spring. It was her favorite season. She adored the way the air smelled after a fresh rain, the warm days and cool nights, and the explosion of color from the new growth.

Fareeha had allergies. 

That was why she sipped her tea slowly as she sat in the small café across the street from The Watchpoint. Her nose was still congested but the allergy pills that her wife had on hand helped a bit. The two women sat by the window looking out onto the street where kids who had gotten out of school ran home. Angela sighed as she stared off into the distance.

“You both have been sitting here for going on two hours.” A thick French accent startled Angela out of her reverie. Standing before them was the owner of Château Guillard, Amélie Lacroix. She held a coffee pot in one hand and wore an expression of feigned disinterest.

“Oh sorry Amélie.” Angela sat upright so that the thin woman could refill her cup. “We’re just waiting for someone.”

“That adoption attorney?” Amélie raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. She was a tall woman with long black hair to her lower back, though it was often in a ponytail. She had the fit physique of a dancer, and she used to be one. She was married at 23 and already had a successful dancing career in Paris. Though to her that seemed like a lifetime ago. Now at 28 she was a widow who owned a café named after her familial home in France.

“Yes, how did you…?” Angela was surprised momentarily as Amélie let out a sharp laugh.

“ _Chérie_ , everyone in town knows what you are doing. Word gets around fast, and if they are not talking about it here then they are across the street at your fathers’ place.” She set Angela’s full cup down. “And no one leaves there without hearing about it.” Angela felt her face redden. Of course Gabriel would be telling everyone. The man was practicality floating on air, excited to be an _abuelo_.

  
The bell above the door rung its happy little tune as the next customer entered. “ _Bonjour_ ,” Amélie greeted the stranger. For as tall as she was, this newcomer was taller. He stood head and shoulders above her and carried himself as if the world owed him something. He wore a white formal jacket that contrasted with his dark skin. He took off his sunglasses once he stepped inside. He immediately recognized the two women from the pictures he received. Fareeha and Angela didn’t think much of it until the hulk of a man sat down at their table in the one empty seat available.

“May we help you?” Fareeha asked as she already didn’t like the air this new guy gave off.

“Akande Ogundimu,” the stranger held his massive hand out to Fareeha. She shook it with hesitation. “Adoption attorney.” Angela immediately perked up and shook his hand as well.

“Angela Ziegler,” She introduced herself before gesturing to Fareeha. “This is my wife, Fareeha Amari. We spoke over the phone.” Angela was the one who set up the meeting, though this was the first time they had spoken in person.

“Good to meet you both.” Akande nodded though his expression of apathy didn’t change. He was like a stone monument as he reached down and pulled up his briefcase. “I have reviewed your application to adopt a child.” He was stoic as he set the papers down on the table before looking up at both of the women who waited with bated breath. “Barring a home visit, your application has been accepted.”

Angela leaned all the way over the table to hug Fareeha. A feat she accomplished in part by using the chair for leverage. “This is wonderful!” She pressed her wife closer Fareeha hugged her back tightly.

“Now,” He pulled out two manila folders as the women broke apart. On one was written **Russia** in very neat penmanship while the other was marked **South Korea**. “Inside are the agencies in the two countries that are willing to accept your application as well as a list of the children they have available,” he explained. “Once you have narrowed down the few you would like to meet then we can discuss travel to the respective country.” He sat back in his chair.

It was like a Schrödinger's box for Angela. If she took the folders then there wouldn’t be any backing out. If she didn’t she would never know what she missed out on and this was all for nothing. Here again she stood on the precipice of uncertainty. It was a place she has grown accustomed to. Angela was never one to back down.

She picked up both folders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a new editor after my old one (me) quit.


	4. Chapter 4

Several weeks later brought a storm front. It had been raining for the better part of two days. While the flora lavished the rain, it made the outside appear dreary. Fareeha looked out their glass patio door and out to the sea beyond their backyard. She enjoyed days like this where she could relax inside with a warm drink under a blanket, preferably snuggling with Angela.

Yet, today was not one of those days.

“We could have hired a service to do this,” Fareeha whined for what seemed like the twelfth time today. She set the window cleaner and a rag on the dining room table.

“Why hire someone when we have so many people willing to help us!” Angela set the bucket of soapy water down on the kitchen floor. Though her blonde hair was usually pulled back, this time she wore a headband to keep her unruly bangs out of her face. She wore what she called her “cleaning clothes”, an old LA Lakers tank top and shorts.

“Gabe gave us the day off!” Lúcio chirped, wearing similar clothes, shorts and a t-shirt he found at the second-hand store of an old music group called Daft Punk. He gestured to his co-workers, Lena and Genji, who stood next to him. The three had been "voluntold" to help Angela and Fareeha clean their house.

“Right! We all wanna help get’cha house cleaned up for this home visit thingy!” Lena grabbed the vacuum cleaner as if it was her dance partner, and Genji took the mop from Angela.

“We want to help. Plus it gets us out of the bar,” he assured Fareeha with a wink. Genji was a lean man with a similar build to his brother, Hanzo. He was always one to have fun first and work second, as evident by the dyed green tips of his black hair.

“Alright,” Fareeha sighed, “The attorney is coming the day after tomorrow for the home inspection. The carpet needs to be vacuumed, floors mopped, counters cleaned, and everything dusted.” Fareeha could feel her own anxiety grow with each passing day.

“If you need us we’ll be in the spare bedroom cleaning it up and getting it ready!” Angela took her wife by the arm and dragged her upstairs to the spare bedroom they currently used as an office.

Lúcio turned to Genji and Lena as he grabbed a rag and window cleaner. “Last one to finish has to do the dishes at the bar for a week?” he challenged his friends with a mischievous grin on his face.

“You’re on.” Genji readied his mop like a sword.

\---- 

“Alright, so first we need to get all this stuff off the floor so we can move your computer desk to our room.” Fareeha tapped her chin as she scanned the room that they often neglected to keep clean. On one side was Angela’s work desk and computer for when she had some idea or breakthrough she needed to get out. It was covered in post-it notes in scribbles that Fareeha was sure even professional code breakers couldn’t decipher.

“We also need to move your weight set.” Angela pointed to the other side of the room where Fareeha’s free weights were sitting. Boxes of holiday decorations, winter clothing, and shoes were just some of the things kept in the room for storage.

“Do you think we could paint the walls?” Fareeha asked as she looked at the beige walls with disgust. Angela froze.

“Now? You want to paint the walls now?” Fareeha could have sworn she saw Angela’s eye twitch.

Fareeha shrugged. “I was thinking pink walls with white trim.” She said as if painting the entire bedroom was no big deal. Angela looked around the simple room that wasn’t ever decorated properly. There was a bed in the corner, one that Jesse used when he lived with her years ago. The mattress was worn and it could use new sheets; the red and blue plaid seemed too mature. There was nothing on the walls. With a hum Angela turned towards the closet. The sliding doors could use a fresh coat of paint. She looked to the walls. Beige was a boring color.

“Ok fine,” Angela gave in, throwing her arms in the air for emphasis. “You can paint the room.”

“I’ll go get paint and painting supplies!” Fareeha kissed Angela’s cheek. “I’ll be back before you know it!” And with that she disappeared.

Angela sighed as she was left to clean the room alone. While she couldn’t lift the desk and weights by herself she opted to clean out the closet. She kept odds and ends in the closet such as spare bed sheets, Fareeha’s high school letterman jacket, and her old medical school textbooks.

She was carrying an armful of books to put in her room across the hall when one fell off the pile. With a sigh, she set the rest down and went to pick it up. Angela furrowed her eyebrows; she didn’t recognize this particular book. She examined the new leather cover with her trained medical eye.

It was a photo album. She flipped it open to the first page. Staring back at her was a picture that she had long forgotten about. It was a picture of a man, tall and well-built. His hair was blonde and his eyes were kind, even though he had rough looking scars across his face. He wore a gentle smile. In one hand he carried a military-looking duffle bag, in his other was the hand of a small girl. She too had blonde hair but hers was pulled back into a pony tail. She was thin and came up to only his mid-chest. Her eyes sparkled in wonder as she looked around the airport they were in. It was her and Jack at JFK airport in New York. It looked to be taken when she had moved to the United States. She hadn’t seen the photo in years and wondered where it came from.

  
Curiosity got the best of her and she sat on the bed and turned the page. The next picture was also worn with time as evident by its bent corners. It seemed the picture itself had been held very dear to the person who owned it. In the picture was a young woman with a distinctive tattoo under her left eye. She wore a bright smile and she had her arms spread like an eagle. On her back was a small girl with an equally bright smile and familiar hair beads. She too wore a bright smile and had her arms out mimicking the woman. Angela’s hand went to her mouth. She had never seen the picture before but she knew it was Fareeha and Ana.

She turned the page to the next photo. She remembered this photo being taken. She and Jack were in Los Angeles for a work conference he had to attend and decided to take his then-12-year-old daughter with him. At the conference he ran into an old friend of his. He explained to her at the time that they had worked together years before she was adopted.

In the picture the man had a playful smile on his dark-completed face. He too had familiar scars. His black hair was wild and unkempt but his goatee was styled perfectly. The man had a cowboy hat in his hand. He held it just out of reach of the 12-year-old boy who wore a signature red serape and a scowl at the loss of his hat. It was Gabriel and Jesse. 

Flipping the page, the next picture was of Jack and Gabriel’s wedding. It was a small ceremony, she remembered. Jack wore a dark blue tuxedo and Gabriel wore a black one. Angela stood on her father’s side in a dress of a matching color. She was older in this picture, 14 if she remembered correctly. She laughed seeing Jesse wearing that damn serape and hat. She remembered the argument that he and Gabriel had over wearing the hat. In the end Gabriel gave in and let him wear it.

The next picture was of the four of them and another woman. Ana appeared to be in her late 30s now. Angela remembered meeting the woman who came to pick them up from the airport when they first moved to Gibraltar. Angela carefully studied the picture. She never noticed the sadness that Ana had in her eyes, betraying the smile on her face. 

The next picture was of her, almost ten years younger than she was now. She had just graduated medical school. She wore her cap and gown of the University of Gibraltar and a bright smile. Jesse had his arm slung around her and looked to be laughing at some joke.

She flipped through pictures of the bar, the house that she had bought, Jack’s old dog, Vincent; she stopped at the next photo.

A young woman with dark eyes looked at the camera. She didn’t wear a smile, instead she looked focused. Angela traced her finger down the side of the picture. Fareeha held herself with all the poise of a soldier. She was wearing her dress uniform of the Canadian Army. Angela remembered this picture as if it was taken yesterday and she laughed a bit. It was when Fareeha moved to Gibraltar to be with Ana after her father died. Fareeha didn’t know her mother well, thinking she was KIA during the Omnic Crisis. It took a while for the two to warm up to each other.

There was a picture of Jesse at the bar with Hanzo who looked less-than-pleased to be there. Angela knew better, below his cold exterior Hanzo had never been happier. Jesse was telling some joke by the looks of it. Jack and Gabriel were behind the bar watching everyone while making drinks. Ana and Reinhardt sat at a table, idly chatting. She and Fareeha looked to be in their own little world off to the side having some intense conversation.

She reached the end of the photo album with the last picture, her hand hovered in midair. It was her wedding. The photo was caught right at the moment the officiant said “You may now kiss your bride.” Fareeha had swept her up, dress and all, and kissed her. Angela was sure that Gabriel still had her wedding dress somewhere in their attic. She wondered if Fareeha still kept her suit. It was a beautiful royal blue that made her stand out.

“Aw damn.” A voice tore Angela away from her trip down memory lane and she looked towards the door where her wife stood. “You found it.” Fareeha twisted her lips in disappointment as she set the paint cans and rollers down. Angela stood up with the book clutched tightly. Her face felt wet. She wiped her eyes, not realizing she had been crying. 

“Fareeha, what is this?” She asked, holding the photo album out. 

“Well, it was meant to be a surprise.” Fareeha looked sheepish, a strange look for her. “For the little one, so she knows who her family is.” Angela threw herself at her wife and kissed her. 

“ _Schatz_ , that is beautiful,” Angela said once she pulled away. Fareeha tried not to blush; but her chest puffed up with pride in the fact she made Angela so happy.

Their moment was interrupted as they heard Lúcio’s voice at the base of the stairs.

“You lost, Genji!” he called with a chuckle.

“I’ll make sure ya have plenty of dishes to wash!” laughed Lena as they ascended the stairs.

“You both cheat,” Genji accused before the three stopped in the doorway. “This is looking very nice,” he commented now that the room was less cluttered.

“Is there anything else you want us to do?” Lúcio volunteered all three of them.

With a wicked smile, Fareeha handed them all rollers and brushes. “Do you know how to paint?” she asked though it wasn’t a question as she gathered the painting supplies.

After several hours (and much debate about how much paint should go on a roller) the room was now a soft pastel pink. The desk and weighs were moved so now all that remained in the room was a bed frame. Angela wanted to get a new mattress and new sheets. 

With all the clutter moved to their room, it was reminiscent of a war zone. Fareeha didn’t care as she side-stepped a box of shoes to get from the en suite bathroom to bed. It was late now as Angela sat in the bed, her reading glasses propped up on her nose as she was looking through papers. She was concentrating, Fareeha could tell as Angela bit the end of the pen in her hand. Fareeha crawled into bed to see what it was that Angela was looking at.

She should have known it was the list that Akande had given them. “Have you narrowed it down any more?” she asked, her dark eyes flicking up from the pages to her wife.

“Well…” She handed her wife the paper she had in her hands. Two names were circled.

“Down to two?” Fareeha asked, looking at Angela.

“These are the two girls I would like to visit with.” A smile worked its way onto Fareeha’s face. 

“Then it’s settled,” Fareeha said as she kissed Angela, moving herself so she was on top of her wife. “We’ll be going to South Korea.”

Her breath was hot on Angela’s face and she pulled her wife back into a kiss. Angela moved the papers out of the way, not breaking the kiss as it got more passionate. Fareeha reached over and turned off the table lamp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [insert fluff chapter]  
> Thank you to everyone who has stopped by, commented, and left kudos. It means everything to me! You the real MVPs.


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay and you’re sure we don’t need to bake cookies or something like that?”

“Yes Angie, I really don’t peg him as the cookie type. Plus what if we forget they’re there and the house burns down?”

“You’re absolutely right. I knew there was a reason I married you!”

“What?”

“What about coffee? Everyone loves coffee!”

“That’s a good idea! I’ll put coffee on!”

The two women ran around as if their house was actually on fire. The home visit was today, and they only got five hours of sleep between the two of them. Everything had to be perfect. Angela ran to the bookshelf to straighten the books again.

“Coffee is on!” Fareeha announced.

“Should we light candles? Let him know we’re sophisticated but laid back?”

“No, too many smells. What if he’s sensitive to smells?”

“Oh good point! Ok, no candles. Do you think the coffee was a good idea?”

“Well now that you have me worried about smells so I don’t know!

“It’s fine. We’ll stick to one smell. Coffee smell. Who doesn’t like coffee smell?”

“What if he’s allergic to coffee smell?”

“Fareeha!”

The doorbell rang and the two women froze in place. Angela held the couch pillow she had been fluffing for the fourth time close to her chest. Her eyes were wide in apprehension as she looked to her wife. Fareeha looked back from where she had been straightening the spice cabinet with the exact same look. It was almost as if they were looking to see who would break first and get to the door.

Another ring shocked them into movement. Fareeha backed down, since she was closer to the door. “I’ll get it,” she said, trying to hide the slight tremble in her voice.

They both knew who was on the other side of the door and Angela felt her stomach do somersaults as Fareeha opened the door. There stood the large man who almost filled the doorframe. His dark eyes and stoic expression never changed.

“Come in!” Fareeha tried to be welcoming but in the back of her mind, she wondered what would happen if the smell of coffee killed their adoption attorney. Would they bury him in the back yard?

Angela put on a mask of confidence as she strode up to shake hands with Akande. “We’re glad you could make it!” She tried to sound casual. She was met with silence as Akande scanned the room and wrinkled his nose. Angela and Fareeha shared nervous glances. “So…uh…” Angela hated the silence.

The man didn’t say much, and his expression never showed more than extreme apathy. “A tour?” Akande pulled out a clipboard from his briefcase and clicked his pen. They were being evaluated.

“Right! Yes! Tour!” Angela tried to string words into a coherent sentence.

They stood in the foyer and as the house had a general open concept floor plan, the entire first floor could be seen from the main entryway. To the immediate left was the kitchen. Angela led them that way.

“Well, all the appliances are new,” Angela scraped for something to talk about. “Coffee?” She offered, craving a cup herself.

“No thank you.” Akande answered plainly as he turned to his clipboard and wrote down notes.

“Right, ok. So I bought the house about five years ago. It was a new build, so I am the first owner,” Angela started to ramble. If he was listening, Akande made no indication as he walked around the kitchen peninsula. Angela shot a panicked look to Fareeha.

“Our dining and main living areas are here.” Fareeha gestured to the open area they were in. There was a TV mounted on the wall, a book shelf and large sectional couch.

“Show me more,” Akande ordered, not looking up from his clipboard. Fareeha had to fight the urge to re-fluff the couch pillows.

“Like…the bathroom?” Fareeha opened the door to their downstairs guest bathroom. Akande nodded, walking in and writing notes along the way. Angela and Fareeha shared nervous glances as the large man hardly fit in their bathroom. He didn’t look up from his clipboard as he walked to their patio door.

“It has a child lock on it already,” Fareeha was sure to point out, showing how one would have to pinch the lock together before being able to open the door. Fareeha wasn’t sure if he saw it or not; his eyes hardly moved from the clipboard.

“What about a fence?” he asked, using his pen to point out to the cliff beyond the property line.

“It is something we would add, yes,” Angela interjected. “Why don’t we show you the room we have ready?”

Akande nodded slightly. Fareeha straightened up and ascended the stairs, leading Akande to the first room on the left. She was proud of her work as she eagerly opened the door. The room smelled of fresh paint. Angela had gotten a new mattress and sheets for the bed; they had little purple bunnies on it. Thanks to Angela every outlet was covered with a child-safe cover. All except the one that had a small rabbit-shaped nightlight.

“Since we don’t know the girl’s particular tastes, we kind of went with a general concept,” Angela explained as if she was defending her thesis.

Akande answered with a simple “hum”, hardly looking up from his clipboard. “Your room next.” He flipped a page and wrote more. Fareeha could almost hear Angela’s train of thought derail.

“You want to see…our room?” Angela stammered, thinking about the huge mess their room was.

“We also have the upstairs bathroom! That’s something else to look at!” Fareeha all but pushed them into the hallway. “And a linen closet! Who doesn’t love linen closets?” She wildly threw open doors. Akande did look up this time and raised an eyebrow; it was enough to make Fareeha want to wilt. “Fine.”

She gave in and opened the door to their mess of a room. Because they were so focused on the rest of the house, they completely ignored the chaos that was their room. Boxes containing clothes, holiday decorations, sports memorabilia, shoes, and books were carelessly strewn about.

“We just cleaned!” Angela raced to stand in front of the large man and blocking the view to the entire room as he just stood in the doorway. “We just have this stuff here temporarily is all!” She felt the sweat on the back of her neck.

Akande said nothing as he walked into the room. With the grace of a cat, he sidestepped boxes and avoided hangers that were dispersed all over. He peeked into their en suite bathroom and scribbled something else down.

Fareeha didn’t know she was holding her breath until she started to feel woozy. Angela moved out of the way as Akande left the room. His eyes never once looking up from the clipboard where he had scribbled notes. Wordlessly, he began descending the stairs as he flipped between pages.

The two women followed him downstairs, watching him with bated breath as he set his clipboard on the kitchen peninsula and sat on a barstool. Fareeha silently prayed to the gods that his massive frame didn’t break the stool. Angela bee-lined for the coffee maker - she needed something to take the edge off.

“After completion of your home inspection, you seem to fit all of the criteria that we require.” Akande looked up at them; his dark eyes sparkled with something. Was it joy? Fareeha was sure the man felt no such emotion. “You are both cleared to move into the next step in the process.”

One could hear a pin drop as silence befell the room. Angela’s mouth hung open, and Fareeha’s eyes were wide. They were both speechless as if their brains had collided going 400 miles an hour. Reminding herself to breathe, Angela spoke first.

“We’re cleared?” she gasped.

Akande nodded as he flipped to a different paper and signed the bottom line. “Once I have both of your signatures.” He glided the paper across the table for both women to look at. “Sign below. You are stating I came out here and approved your home.”

Fareeha scrambled for a pen and hastily signed the paper. Her personal motto of “always let Angela read anything before signing” was thrown out the window. Angela put her name on the paper before Akande took it back.

“I will be in contact with the agency in South Korea and tell them to push you both through and we will schedule a visit.” Akande put his papers away and stood up. “Your home is very nice.” He complimented before leaving.

Once the door closed with a click the two women looked at each other. Their faces mirrored the look of shock as it started to sink in that they were to move forward. “Did that just…?” Fareeha couldn’t finish a sentence.

“We’re…” Once their brains rebooted the look of shock turned into pure joy and elation. Unable to contain their jubilation both women squealed:

“We’re going to be parents!”

\----

Weeks melded into months before the couple heard back from Akande. Spring was winding down and gearing up for summer as the days became warmer and longer. Birds began their mating calls, flowers were in full bloom, and caterpillars started to become butterflies.

Angela wished those butterflies in her stomach would die already.

She squeezed Fareeha’s hand tight as they walked through Gibraltar International Airport. She tried to still her nervous shaking by leaning into the taller woman. She was grateful she wasn’t alone as Jack, Gabriel, Ana, Reinhardt, and Jesse all insisted they see them off. They all met in the open area where family members could greet or see off their loved ones.

“Are you excited?” Reinhardt was giddy as he greeted them. Angela nodded apprehensively and he laughed, his voice echoed in the large room. “How can you not be?”

  
“I expect you to come back with my granddaughter,” Ana threatened Fareeha who held up her hands defensively.

  
“Mother, this visit isn’t about that. We are simply going over to meet the girls,” she explained. Ana narrowed her eyes. She didn’t like that answer but it was going to have to do for now.

“Do you have your tickets?” Jack asked. Angela nodded and pulled the boarding passes out from her purse.

“Right here Dad,” she replied as Jack nodded proudly and smiled at her. He could sense her nervousness radiating off of her.

_“Mi angelita!”_ Gabriel was almost crying as he hugged Angela. “You must take pictures!” he told her, she nodded.

“How long is your flight?” Jesse asked.

“21 hours total. With two stops on the way.” Fareeha answered, looking at her boarding pass. Jesse looked to his sister.

“You gonna be ok with that?” he asked her, Angela could handle short trips fine but anything too long and she got motion sick. Jesse was all too aware of that, remembering the time she got sick on their way to vacation in Rialto years ago.

“Yes, I have several drugs,” she answered. “Hopefully I’ll sleep through most of it.”

“Plus! I have the window seat!” Fareeha said, giddy with excitement. Unlike Angela, she loved to fly. The feeling of being so high above the earth thrilled her.

“Ok, be sure to text us when you land in Busan.” Gabriel gave them both another hug. Reinhardt handed them their bags that he insisted he carry.

“When you come back you must tell us all about your exploits and adventures!” he hugged both of them at the same time, a feat he was able to accomplish due to his size.

“We will,” Fareeha assured him once she was able to free herself from his grasp.

The two women waved goodbye as they headed towards security. They passed through without incident and were soon on their first flight. It was a short flight to Heathrow Airport in London. Angela was thankful it was only three hours. Fareeha made sure to get a funny shirt for Lena in one of the many gift shops in the airport.

They switched planes for the longest leg of the flight, London to Seoul. For a full 11 hours they were on the plane. Angela took several pills to sleep through most of it. Fareeha watched several movies on the in-flight entertainment system. It was night when they landed in Seoul to board the last plane to Busan. They had to race across Incheon International Airport to get to the gate where their plane was boarding. It was more like Fareeha was racing and dragging her lethargic wife along.

Angela was still drowsy and jet-lagged when they landed in Busan three hours later. Fareeha was too excited to sleep. She texted everyone to let them know they were okay once they landed. She practically had to hold her wife up as they stood at the baggage claim at Gimhae Airport. Even though it was 3 am local time, the airport still bustled with life. Angela shuffled through the airport like a zombie.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Fareeha laughed.

“Mmmhmmm,” Angela swayed on her feet and Fareeha had to prop her up.

Once their bags were obtained Fareeha picked up the rental car they ordered. They drove over the river to where the hotel sat on the coast. The views overlooking the Suyeongman Bay were stunning. Just past the bright lights of the city was the inky black stillness of the water. At this time of night one couldn’t tell where the water stopped and the sky started. It all melded into one and Fareeha felt as if she was looking off the edge of the Earth.

Once they entered their hotel room Angela collapsed on the bed. Fareeha set all their bags down and chuckled to herself. They had three days to explore the city so she allowed herself to fall asleep next to her wife.

They made it.


	6. Chapter 6

After a restful sleep, Angela could finally let the feeling sink in that she was actually in South Korea. That she and Fareeha started this journey only months ago and now they were hopefully soon to end it.

“What do you want to do first?” Fareeha asked as she looked through the brochure the hotel provided of the city.

Angela turned away from where she looked out the window. She found it hard to believe that an omnic lived beneath the waves of the bay; it looked so calm.

“What is there to do?” she asked, leaning over where Fareeha sat to see the brochure for herself.

“Well, there’s an aquarium here. We could go there, or there’s the world’s largest department store!”

“We have to meet with the adoption agent at three, so no.” Angela rolled her eyes.

“What about the beach?” Fareeha asked, looking to Angela whose interest was now piqued. Fareeha grinned. “I brought our swimsuits…” she taunted, wiggling her eyebrows in an attempt to be seductive. “And it’s the most famous beach in the country.” She held out the brochure so Angela could see it better.

“Alright,” Angela gave in. “As long as we’re at the agency at three.”

Fareeha jumped out of her seat in excitement. She kissed her wife before rummaging through one of the suitcases.                             

\----

The beach was crowded, which was expected on a beautiful day. The warm spring air lured families out of their homes to the crashing waves of the coast. Seagulls squawked overhead as they tried to get any scrap of food left behind. It was a weekend so kids were out playing in the surf with their parents. Grandparents stayed behind, soaking up the sun.

Pulling up, Angela watched as one kid built a sandcastle. Her eyes were drawn to the way the sand was piled up so high that it would inevitably fall over. That didn’t discourage the child to keep building the sand higher, just to see it fall again. Angela had to fight the urge to run over and help. If she closed her eyes she could imagine herself sitting there trying to build the sandcastle with her wife and their future daughter, whoever that may be. It made her feel warm inside to imagine the scene.

“You okay, Ange?” Fareeha’s voice pulled the woman out of her reverie. Fareeha stared blankly at the doctor; she knew Angela was daydreaming again.

 “Yes, I’m fine.” Angela smiled as she looked at her wife. Her hair was pulled back and she had her sunglasses on. She wore a smile that was as bright as the sun outside and that made Angela’s heart flutter.

“Well then what are we waiting for?” she asked and got out of the car. Angela followed. While her wife was fine in just a tank top and shorts covering her swimsuit, Angela was a bit more defended from the sun. She wore her swimsuit under a lengthy sundress and had a large floppy sunhat on her head as well as sunglasses. She had put on sunscreen before they even left the hotel room because unlike her wife, who tanned beautifully, fair-skinned Angela burned.

There were several umbrellas that seemed to be permanent fixtures on the beach. Fareeha staked one out and placed their things under it. She all but ripped off her top and shorts so she was in her swimsuit.

“Let’s go to the water!” Fareeha encouraged as she watched Angela take off her dress and hat so she too was in her swimsuit. The two women snaked through the various families out enjoying the warm weather. Angela tried not to let her eyes linger on the happy families too long lest she begin daydreaming again.

The water was cold but not uncomfortably so. Fareeha practically dove into the salty water, letting the waves crash around her. Angela stayed right at the water’s edge, her toes barely touching the surf.

“Angela!” Fareeha called to her wife as she splashed up to her. “Babe, you gotta relax a little.” she said, taking Angela’s hand and pulling her out into the water.

“I’m trying…” Angela sighed. “I’m just so nervous.”

“So am I,” Fareeha admitted, and they stopped to where the water was at their waists. “But thinking about it isn’t going to help matters. Why don’t we enjoy the time we have together.”

Angela smiled, one of the many reasons she loved Fareeha was that she always knew what to say to make her feel better. Angela let out a sigh and let a wave pick her up and gently put her back down before it crashed on the shore. “This is nice,” she said as she stared back at the beach and the city behind it.

Fareeha nodded, “It’s hard to believe that they’re still rebuilding from the Omnic Crisis.”

Angela hummed in agreement. “The inner city has been doing pretty well in regards to rebuilding. I read somewhere Vishkar has something to do with that,” she explained. “It’s the outer areas that are still trying to recover.”

“Let me guess; that’s where we’ll be going?” Fareeha quirked an eyebrow and Angela nodded. Fareeha laid back and let the water hold her. “So where do we meet this adoption agent?” she asked as she stared at the fluffy clouds that passed by in the sky.

“Her office isn’t far from the hotel. About four blocks away,” Angela answered and she too ended up floating on her back and staring at the clouds.

“Do you think she’ll like us?” Fareeha asked after several minutes of silence.

“Who? The agent?” Angela asked, confused.

“No, the girl. We don’t even know her yet.” Fareeha stood. “What if she doesn’t like us?” Angela paused. It wasn’t often Fareeha aired her insecurities out loud.

“I don’t know,” Angela answered with a heavy sigh. It wasn’t the best answer, if it was even an answer at all. The same question lingered at the back of her mind as well.

\----

  
The two spent a couple more hours at the beach before packing up and heading back to the hotel. They showered and dressed for their meeting. They had lunch at a noodle place across the street before walking to the adoption agent’s building. As with most things in this city, the office was high up. It was one of many rented places in towering skyscrapers. They followed the map to suite 1739. It reminded Fareeha of a doctor’s office as they walked in. There was a receptionist at a desk and chairs spread out in what looked like a waiting room. Angela pressed forward and approached the receptionist.

“ _Annyeong_ ,” Angela greeted in Korean. She had been studying the language ever since they decided on adopting from South Korea. The two of them would listen to audio tapes and practice pronouncing the words back and forth. “ _Je ileum-eun_ Angela Ziegler.”

The receptionist smiled. “Welcome,” she greeted in English and Fareeha let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, a long sigh of relief.

The receptionist turned to her computer, “Yes, Amari-Ziegler. You have the three o’clock with Min-seo.” She stood and led them back to where there were several smaller offices. She stopped at one door and knocked. “Your three o’clock is here!” she called before abruptly leaving, abandoning them in the hallway.

Fareeha and Angela looked to each other unsure of what to do. Fareeha eyed the photos on the wall of various couples with children. She assumed they were children that the agency had placed. They all looked happy. Fareeha wished she could skip all of this and go directly to having that happy family.

A voice from beyond the door made Angela jump, “Come in!”

They entered the small office to find a young woman, a few years older than Fareeha, sitting at a desk on her computer. She stood to greet them, standing only slightly above five feet tall. In traditional Korean fashion she bowed. Angela and Fareeha followed suit. “I am Min-seo; I will be your liaison between you and the foster home!” Her voice was sweet and chipper as she motioned for them to sit down. The woman’s black hair was up in a messy bun and her horn-rimmed glasses sat precariously on her nose.

“Nice to meet you,” Fareeha greeted as they took the two seats on the opposite side of her desk.

Min-seo turned to her computer and began typing. “Both of the girls you want to meet are at the same foster home in Gangseo District.” She turned her computer screen to show a map of the city and its dividing districts. “The airport you flew into isn’t far,” she explained before turning the monitor back around. The silence was only interrupted by the clacking of the keyboard. After a moment Min-seo paused, a grin painting her features. She turned the monitor back to face Angela and Fareeha. On the screen were pictures of two young girls.

The girl on the left seemed to be older. She had black hair stopping right above her shoulders with bangs swooped over her right eye which gave her an air of mystery. Fareeha noticed the smile on her face seemed a bit forced, as if she was tired. Under the picture was her name: Lee, Yuna.

The girl on the right was the complete opposite. She appeared a few years younger, her long brown hair was unkempt and her bangs were a bit wild. She wore a bright smile on her face that was infectious. Angela couldn’t help but smile herself. Under the picture was the girl’s name: Song, Hana.

Angela felt her heart leap up in her throat. She had seen this in dreams so many times. She almost pinched herself to be sure she wasn’t actually dreaming this time. No, this was actually happening. After months of delicate planning, sleepless nights hunched over paperwork, brunch meetings with Akande, and bottles of wine emptied in the anticipation of this moment; it was all suddenly worth it.

Her mouth felt parched, and she glanced at Fareeha. Her wife had her eyes glued to the screen, only looking away when Angela squeezed her hand.

“I talked to the foster home; she said that you can come and visit at noon tomorrow if that fits your schedules,” Min-seo offered.

“Yes!” Both Fareeha and Angela eagerly spoke at the same time.

Min-seo laughed heartily. “I thought so.” She smiled as she folded her hands in front of her. “As with all potential adoptions, it will be supervised. I will meet you at the foster home at noon,” she told them and received a nod from them both. She then opened a desk drawer and pulled out a folder that was almost bursting with papers. Angela could see written on the side tab “Amari-Ziegler”.

“I have your records and notes here from your adoption attorney.” Min-seo rifled through copies of the forms the couple had sent. Fareeha saw the copies of their birth certificates, proof of employment, and proof of citizenship they sent to Akande. Min-seo pulled out the paper she was looking for. “I just need both of your signatures here. And here.” She pointed to the two X’s that were under the block of text. Of course, Angela picked up the paper to read it in full.

“You are signing that you have the child’s best intentions at heart. You will be subjected to random home visits from your adoption attorney for the next three years. These visits may or may not come with forewarning. If he thinks the child is in any danger he has the right to vacate the child from the home, and you both will be reported to child protective services.” Min-seo’s tone remained chipper even though the subject she spoke of was ominous. Fareeha nodded slowly as trepidation scratched the back of her throat. She looked to the paper as Angela kept reading.

Once Angela signed it so did she.

\----

“Can you sleep?”

“No. You?”

“Not at all."

Fareeha sat up in bed and ran a hand through her hair. The bedside clock read 5:14 am local time.

She sighed. “Today is the day,” she said and looked to Angela who was also awake, staring at the ceiling of their hotel room. Neither woman had been able to sleep well, either from jet-lag, excitement, or a mix of the two.

Fareeha got up out of bed and walked over to their suitcases. “I’m going jogging,” she stated, and Angela sat up in bed, “To clear my head.” Fareeha kept a strict workout schedule, and she only ever got up to jog this early when she was anxious or stressed.

“Well let me go with you.” Angela threw off the sheets and pulled her messy blonde locks back. “To clear your head with you.”

Fareeha couldn’t contain the smile on her face. Her wife wasn’t a morning person, so Angela offering to do anything before 10:30 was spectacular.

The two women jogged down the winding streets of the crowded city. Even as early as it was, commuters were out, stores were beginning to open, and both people and omnics hurried about. It was a bustling mecca of traffic and people, the opposite of their sleepy little town of Overwatch, Gibraltar. There, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know who you were, who you were related to, what school you went to, and maybe even what you had for breakfast. Here they were just anonymous faces in a crowd, like extras in a movie set.

By the time they got back to the hotel, the morning rush was in full swing outside. Angela was first to hop in the shower, and Fareeha turned on the TV. Every show was in Korean and she strained to understand it.

Time flew by and soon it was 11 am.

“Are you ready?” Fareeha turned to her wife.

“As I'll ever be.” Angela took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. She could feel Fareeha’s arms wrap around her waist.

“I am here, _habibata_ ,” Fareeha whispered reassurance in her ear before they left the hotel room to get to the rental car.

Angela drove them the way they came in, past the mountains on Highway 104, over the bridge and west of the airport. They allotted plenty of time to fight the busy Busan traffic. The crowded downtown faded into the distance as buildings became more spread out and houses littered the countryside. Angela followed the directions programmed into the car’s GPS until it told them they had arrived.

Angela turned down the narrow alley that ran adjacent to the house. It was a typical Korean _honok_ , an L-shaped home with a large open area in the center where children played. Fareeha wondered where the front door was as Angela parked the car.

“Are you ready?” The blonde doctor took a deep breath; Fareeha kissed her lover on the cheek.

“As I’ll ever be.” She smiled and they both got out of the car. Min-seo was already there, sitting in her tiny little sports car. She smiled when she saw them and hopped out.

“ _Annyeong!”_ she greeted in Korean with a bow. Both Angela and Fareeha bowed in return.

“Come!” She walked confidently into the open courtyard. There were what appeared to be five children in the courtyard. Two overturned cardboard boxes were moving around on the ground, hiding the kids inside. One was colored with blue and gray marker. Fareeha assumed there was something written on it in Korean but she couldn’t translate. The other box was colored with pink marker and covered in stickers.

A tall, slender boy with shockingly white hair was pretending to be some sort of monster because he roared and stomped around the giggling boxes. He seemed to be the oldest, possibly no older than eight-years-old. Sitting to the side was a familiar-looking girl who appeared to be around the same age as the white-haired boy. She didn’t seem to be too enthralled with what they were doing as she pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. She instead opted to sit and read a book with another boy. He looked a year or two younger than her. He adjusted his glasses and turned the page of the manga he was reading.

Watching over them like a hawk was a tall, slender woman. Her black hair was pulled back as she sat across the courtyard. She was dressed in a semi-formal skirt and blouse. The woman reminded Angela more of a headmistress at an elite boarding school than a foster mother. Min-seo led them across the courtyard to where the woman sat.

“ _Annyeong,_ Myung!” Min-seo greeted and the woman stood to bow.

“ _Annyeong_ Min-seo,” she responded. Fareeha noticed how tall and foreboding the woman seemed once she stood. Min-seo turned to them with a smile.

“This is Myung,” she explained. Both women bowed in greeting. “She would be what you call a foster mother.”

“It is nice to meet you.” Angela tried to remain focused when all she wanted to do was to watch the kids play.

“Myung, this is Angela Ziegler and Fareeha Amari,” Min-seo introduced. “They are interested in one of your girls.”

Myung nodded and smiled “Welcome, would you like some tea?” she offered. Both Fareeha and Angela nodded and Myung excused herself momentarily.

The three sat on the raised walkway. Both Fareeha and Angela watched the children play with great interest. It seemed that the kids in the boxes were attacking the silver-haired boy. The pink box flanked the boy who roared, distracted by the blue box. Suddenly the pink box flipped and a small girl exploded out. She looked just like her picture, probably no older than five-years-old and scrawny. Her fine brown hair was pulled into uneven pigtails. Petite though she was, she still knocked the boy over when she tackled him, and they both tumbled to the ground.

“Victory!” the girl yelled in English. Min-seo, who was also watching, giggled a bit. Myung’s return jolted Angela and Fareeha away from the scene they were enthralled in. Myung sighed.

“That’s Hana,” Myung told them as she sipped her tea before taking a seat and rubbing her temples. “She’s…a…what is the English word…” She scrunched her nose in attempt to find the elusive word, “A ‘handful’. Yes that’s it. Hana’s a handful.”

Angela sipped her tea; she was focused on the little girl who flaunted her victory over the older boy. She noticed the girl had what looked to be two pink lines on either side of her face in what appeared to be lipstick.

“What’s on her face?” Angela asked. Myung paused; it seemed she saw it too.

“Hana!” Min-seo flinched as Myung yelled; “ _내_ _립스틱을_ _가져간_ _것에_ _대해_ _뭐라고_ _했어!_ ”

The small girl looked up and tried vigorously to wipe the lipstick off her cheeks.

Myung shook her head and muttered to herself in Korean before collecting herself to speak again. “Now, Yuna is a bright girl.” She directed their attention to the girl reading by herself. “She is a bit reserved, but at seven she’s already tested out of third grade,” Myung spoke full of pride. “She looks after the other children like a big sister would. She would be a perfect fit.”

“Tell me more about her.” Fareeha nodded towards Hana, who at this point was hiding back under her cardboard box. Myung looked confused.

“Hana?” she asked, not quite believing what she was hearing. “Hana is one discipline problem after another.” She drug a hand down her face, Fareeha could see exhaustion in her eyes. “You’re lucky you even got to see her; she’s usually inside playing video games.” Angela nodded, though her gaze did not waver from the assembled children. “Now, Yuna is no trouble at all.” Myung’s tone did a complete 180. “She helps around the house if needed; she helps the others with their homework and is as polite as they come.” She bragged about the girl who was reading, oblivious to the conversation.

“How did she end up here?” Fareeha asked the hard question. Myung took a long sip of her tea before she spoke, collecting her thoughts.

“Abandoned at birth,” she answered as she shook her head sadly. “It’s a shame really. She was just found outside of a police station and ended up in the system.” Myung stared in Yuna’s direction for a few moments before sipping her tea again.

“And Hana?” Angela asked. Myung almost choked before whipping her head back to face the blonde.

“You are not seriously considering…” Myung started but a sharp glare with Angela’s piercing blue eyes shut her up and she relented. “Hana’s village was attacked by the _gwishin_ omnics about three years ago.” She let out a long, sad sigh as she recalled the tragic day, “She was the only survivor.”

The women fell silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 80% of what I know about Korea I learned from watching Korean horror movies.  
> Depending on how this season goes I may make a Tumblr for this universe. There is just so much I have in mind. Plus I like to doodle.  
> Thank you all for your support, it really keeps me going!


	7. Chapter 7

“Hana, Yuna, _yeogiwa_.” Myung ordered, causing all the children to freeze. The white-haired boy stared pointedly at Myung before he collected the two other boys and steered them inside. Yuna closed her book, and Hana dragged her pink box with her as they both walked over. “I would like you to meet these two women: Angela Ziegler and Fareeha Amari.” She gestured to the women as she spoke. Yuna bowed in respect. 

“You have weird names,” Hana said. Myung sighed and shook her head in disappointment. Angela couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face.

“I am originally from Switzerland and Fareeha is from Egypt,” Angela explained to Hana who stared blankly before turning to Yuna.

“What is a Switzerland?” she whispered to the girl who rolled her eyes.

“A country,” she answered bluntly. “They are countries.”

Myung muttered incoherent Korean under her breath. Yuna noticed and she stepped forward to salvage the situation.

“My name is Yuna Lee. It is very nice to meet you,” she greeted.

“It is nice to meet you too, Yuna.” Fareeha smiled, glancing at Hana. All eyes turned to the girl who was more interested in her box than any kind of formal introduction. Yuna elbowed the girl in the arm as a signal to introduce herself.

“Owwww! Whaaaaaat?” Hana whined as she rubbed her arm before it clicked in her head to introduce herself. “Oh, yeah! Hi, I’m D.Va!” She held her hand out to shake like she’d most likely seen so many American cartoons do. 

“No, you’re not.” Yuna sighed, tired of correcting her every time. Fareeha could have sworn she saw Myung’s eye twitch in agitation. 

“Yeah, huh!” Hana fired back before placing the pink box back over her head. “I’m D.Va and I have a giant robot and I fight the omnic in the sea!” She punched the air with her lanky limbs. 

Fareeha laughed at the girl’s imagination. Angela, on the other hand, tried to hide the pained grimace on her face. Her stomach twisted when she mentioned the omnic in the sea. How much of the attack did the little girl remember?

Angela recalled her own nightmares and all the times she would wake up screaming in the middle of the night covered in sweat and would run to Jack. He was always there and he would let her snuggle in bed with him and they would read until she fell back asleep. Did Hana have nightmares? Who did she run to in the middle of the night?

Fareeha wrapped her arm around Angela’s waist after seeing the far-off look in her wife’s eyes. It was a silent gesture to pull Angela back to reality from whatever dark place her mind had wandered to.

“Well, it is very nice to meet you both,” Fareeha said to the girls. Myung, who had her jaw clenched the entire time in effort to stop herself from exploding, began to relax. 

“Yuna, take Hana and go get lunch, hmm?” she encouraged though the bite in her voice did not go unnoticed. Yuna swiftly took Hana’s wrist and ushered her inside, much to the protest of the younger girl.

“Well now, you see what I mean?” Myung clapped her hands together, trying to hide the stress and failing horribly at it.

“They are lovely girls,” Min-seo spoke up from where she silently stood behind everyone. Fareeha had forgotten the woman was there at all and was startled by her voice. Angela stared at the doorway the two girls disappeared through.

\---- 

The car ride back to the hotel was silent. Neither Fareeha nor Angela spoke a word as they re-entered the city. Even as Fareeha parked the car in the underground parking lot they were quiet.

It wasn’t until they were back in the room did Angela speak. 

“So?” She looked up at her wife as she sat on the bed to take off her shoes.

“So, what?” Fareeha answered with a quirked eyebrow.

“What do you think?” Angela was a bit agitated she actually had to explain this to her wife. She grew more agitated still when Fareeha laughed.

“I knew the minute I saw her.” Fareeha chuckled, a grin spread across her face as she looked the blonde doctor in her icy eyes. “And I know you did too. I saw it in your face.” Fareeha could see Angela’s shock as she took a sharp breath in. The shock melted into happiness as the next thing Fareeha knew Angela had her arms around her.

They didn’t leave Busan until late the next day. As with the flight in, Angela drugged herself so she slept most of the way. Fareeha couldn’t sleep if she tried. She stared out the window of the plane. Every time she closed her eyes she saw that cute little face with the lipstick lines drawn on her cheeks. Fareeha was never one to believe in love at first sight. But this? This was the closest thing she has ever experienced. Call her crazy, but she knew it the minute she saw the girl burst out of her little pink cardboard box.

Angela’s sleep was restless. She too kept seeing the same sweet face in her dreams. That emptiness she felt in the pit of her stomach was starting to feel full.

It was early the next morning when the couple arrived back in Gibraltar. As planned, Jack met them at the airport to take them home. “How did it go?” he asked once they had their bags packed in his car.

“It went well.” Angela answered as she got in the front seat while Fareeha took the back. Jack raised an eyebrow. 

“Well as in…?” Of course he wanted to pry for more information. Fareeha couldn’t help but chuckle. She found the excitement Ana, Jack and Gabriel had at becoming grandparents quite amusing.

“We decided on the girl we want to adopt,” Fareeha said. Her gaze caught the rearview mirror where she spied Jack sporting the widest smile on his face.

“That’s wonderful to hear,” Jack responded, stealing a glance at Angela who had a small blush on her face as she looked out the window. “Why don’t you both come to the bar tonight and have a drink? I know you must be exhausted but we would all like to see you and hear your adventures,” Jack offered as he turned the car into their little neighborhood. Overwatch, Gibraltar was everything Busan was not. There were no skyscrapers to be seen, there weren’t any beaches to swim from, no anonymity, and no threat of any omnic coming from beneath the waves. It was a peaceful place that many retreat to get away from the hustle and bustle of big cities.

“It would be nice to have a drink and relax.” Angela yawned as they pulled up into the driveway.

Relaxation was the last thing she got when they entered the bar that night. When Jack said that everyone wanted to see them, he meant everyone. Upon opening the door to the bar both Angela and Fareeha were greeted with every neighbor and friend they had made while living here in Overwatch.

“What is all this?” Angela couldn’t hide her shock seeing the party that was going on.

“ _Mi angelita_!” Gabriel had his broad arms around her in an instant. “It’s not every day you both go to some far off country to adopt my future granddaughter! You have to tell us everything!” His excitement was hard to match. The man was enthusiastic about many things but his family was at the top of that list.

“He’s got a point there, love,” Lena chirped as she walked passed with three beers for the table next to them. She set them down and Reinhardt took a giant swig of his. 

“Especially if there is going to be a new addition to the family!” His bellowing voice got everyone’s attention in the bar.

“Reinhardt won’t stop braiding my hair…” spoke the young woman in a Swedish accent who also sat at the table. She took one of the newly placed beers and took a drink before biting into her doughnut. Indeed her brown hair was braided. Her name was Brigitte Lindholm and she was the daughter of the mechanic next door. Her father, Torbjörn, also sat at the table. His short stature made him easy to overlook. Had it not been for his imposing beard and loud voice he would have gone entirely unnoticed.

“When do we get to meet the wee one?” he asked. Fareeha noticed his beer that Lena had set down only seconds ago was empty. 

“Whoa now,” the voice from behind Angela made her relax. “They just got here; let them have a drink first before you start bombarding them with questions.” Jesse guided the two to the bar and to the two seats that were always reserved for them. He winked at Angela before walking behind the bar. Genji passed them each a glass of wine which Angela took gratefully and chugged the whole thing.

“You enjoyed your trip?” Ana asked from her usual spot beside Angela as she stirred her tea. 

“We did. It was very nice,” Fareeha answered before sipping her wine while Angela got another glass. “The city is gorgeous and very modern.”

 “Do you want anything to eat?” Jack asked while side-stepping Gabriel who went behind the bar. “Mako brought over sandwiches from next door. Amélie has some French cheese thing and Zarya brought a fresh batch of doughnuts that should still be there if Brigitte hasn’t eaten them all.”

 “Hey!” Brigitte interjected, acting offended but Gabriel laughed.

“I’m not very hungry.” Angela politely turned down the offer before taking a sip from her glass.

“I am!” Fareeha hopped off her stool and perused the line of food at the other end of the bar.

“Did you get to meet the girl?” Hanzo asked leaning forward from where he sat on Fareeha’s other side. His cheeks were red from the sake, meaning Jesse would have to cut him off soon.

Angela blushed and stared into her wine. “We did,” she answered. “We met the happiest, most energetic girl there. She was so small but so full of life.” A smile worked its way onto Angela’s face. 

“Well, what is her name?” Amélie asked from across the room where she sat with two other women. The Bloody Mary at her side was almost finished. Angela looked up, just now realizing that the entire room’s attention was on her. If her cheeks weren’t burning before they certainly were now.

“Hana.” Fareeha interjected and sat back down, a sandwich in one hand and a doughnut in the other. She took another bite of her sandwich. 

“How old is she?” asked the woman who sat next to Amélie. She was Satya Vaswani, native of a small village in India and getting her Masters in Architecture at the University of Gibraltar. Amélie hired the woman after seeing her study so many times in the café.

“Five,” answered Angela as she finished her second glass of wine. Jesse passed her another one.

Gabriel gasped and threw his arms around the closest person he was near, which happened to be Jack. “We’re going to be grandparents!” he crowed. 

“When do we get to meet the _niñita_ then?” asked the other woman sitting at the table with Amélie and Satya. She was Amélie’s other employee, Olivia Colomar, though she preferred to be called Sombra. She looked as if she belonged in some cutting edge city with the way that her hair was half shaved and dyed purple. Gabriel said he knew her from when he spent time with family in Dorado, Mexico. Whenever anyone asks about life there she is quick to change the subject. 

“If all goes well, the end of the month,” Angela answered. Gabriel gasped again. 

“That’s three weeks away!” His eyes went wide. “We have so much to do before then! We have to get the bar ready for a ‘welcome to your new home’ party, and you should probably get your hair cut Jack.” Jack frowned and ran a self-conscious hand through his thinning gray hair. “I need a new suit! First impressions matter.”

“And I must master my hair braiding before then!” Reinhardt’s voice boomed. 

A look of dread mixed with concern spread across Brigitte’s features. “You mean you haven’t?” she muttered apprehensively. 

“ _Nyet_ , there are more important things the little one can learn,” spoke the large woman sitting at the next table over. She was an imposing figure to say the least and, like Sombra, looked out of place in the small town. She had short pink hair and a scar above her right eye. She was Aleksandra Zaryanova, the baker across the street. She preferred to be called Zarya after hearing so many people mess up the pronunciation of her name. “Baking builds strong muscles!” She flexed her sculpted biceps for emphasis. Fareeha heard rumors that she was a former bodybuilder in Russia before she, like so many others, were forced to flee from the omnium there.

“Bah! Not when I can show her the way around a good engine!” Torbjörn fired back.

“Oi! does this mean I can teach the shelia how to build the biggest bonfire ever seen?” came the excited question from the young man on the other side of the room. His eyes sparkled with glee as he spoke with a thick Australian accent, nearly standing on the chair he was sitting on in excitement. He wobbled a bit because only one leg could hold his weight. He lost the other one in the attack on the Australian omnium before coming here. He would have lost a lot more if his uncle hadn’t pulled him out of that wasteland. 

“Jamison! What did I tell you about setting fires?” Ana warned, and the young man sat back down again. He tapped his prosthetic leg against the floor in agitation, obviously displeased at having been addressed by his more formal name. He would have snapped back at the elder Amari had his uncle not given him a harsh look.

Sitting next to him was an enormous man with his white hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. He was the intimidating butcher next door, Mako Rutledge. In the years Angela had known him she doesn’t recall a time where he spoke more than a sentence or two. Jamie was his nephew as well as his apprentice over at the butcher shop and deli. Jamie’s employment there was mostly to keep him from becoming a serial arsonist and out of Ana’s hair.

Angela could see where this was heading and she asked Jesse to refill her wine glass. Fareeha snickered and finished her wine. She refused another glass, instead opting to keep an eye on her wife who was growing more and more flustered as the conversation went on.

“I am really close to a breakthrough in my cryogenic studies,” came a small voice from the equally small woman sitting next to Zarya. Mei-Ling Zhou was a well-respected climatologist and tenured professor at the University of Gibraltar. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose before she spoke again. “I could use a subject-I mean assistant-in my upcoming research.” She quickly took a sip of her hot chocolate, trying to look nonchalant.

Angela stared at Mei in abject horror. 

“We are not in any way allowing our daughter near that woman…” Fareeha muttered under her breath to Angela. Maybe she refused that second glass of wine too soon. Angela drank more. 

“I am sure Doctor Ziegler would not appreciate that very much,” Satya commented before taking a sip of her tea. Angela wanted to kiss the ground the Indian woman walked on. Finally someone could see reason. “Why not indulge in a more exhilarating activity? Like organizing the spice racks at the café?”

“Only you would find organizing spices exhilarating,” Amélie deadpanned. While she loved Satya’s attention to detail and organization, she had to admit the woman could take things too far. 

Sombra shook her head and set down her finished Margarita glass that Lúcio was quick to whisk away. “Why not teach the _niñita_ something useful? I’ve been working on a computer virus to data mine bank account numbers from those stuck-up rich snobs in Vishkar.” Satya looked horrified, and Ana pretended she didn’t hear that.

“No one is hacking into anything,” came the retort from the red-headed Irish woman who finished up their friend group in the bar. Never in her life had Angela been so grateful for Doctor O’Deorian’s presence. Angela had dreaded the genetics class the woman taught in college. Now that they worked together at the local hospital she learned to tolerate the woman. Barely. “Not when she can be learning about pundit squares!”

Angela wasn’t grateful any more.

 “Nah, man!” Lúcio interjected as he picked up more empty glasses to place behind the bar. “I can teach her some sick dance moves!” He demonstrated his acrobatic prowess as he glided back to the bar.

 Lena laughed as he set the glasses down for her to wash. “I could take ‘er flyin’ with me, yeah?” the young pilot teased as well. 

“Archery is a better skill to have,” Hanzo slurred, his husband shooting him a dark look. “The Dragon does not miss.” He pointed to his winding arm tattoo of a blue dragon. Jesse took Hanzo’s empty glass away, cutting him off for the night.

 “ _Ani_ , no one has called you that since college.” Genji said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “And archery is dumb anyway. I’ll show her how to be a badass ninja!” He sliced the air with a hand to prove his point.

 “Genji, just because you ordered throwing stars in the mail doesn’t mean you’re a ninja,” Hanzo retorted and like that the bar erupted into chatter over what the most important “skill” is to have.

 Fareeha watched the whole scene trying not to burst into laughter and watched her wife try not to have an aneurysm. She imagined this rambunctious little girl that she had only met a day ago falling victim to whatever their friends deemed were “necessary” life skills. However, considering the way Angela pounded into her fourth glass of wine, she thought it best to speak up.

 “None of you ever asked what she likes.” Fareeha’s voice rose above the others, causing everyone else to quiet down.

 Reinhardt cleared his throat, drawing all attention to him. “What _does_ she like?” Fareeha was having a terrible time hiding her mischievous smile.

“Videogames,” she answered to the stunned crowd as everyone looked to each other at a loss. Fareeha knew that video gaming wasn’t in anyone’s wheelhouse of expertise. “She may have to teach us something.”

 “I may have an old system in my closet somewhere.” Genji tapped his chin in thought. “Maybe a handheld or two. I don’t play anymore so I’d be happy to give them to you.”

 “ _Danke,_ Genji.” Angela felt like she could finally breathe once everyone had calmed down. Fareeha raised both eyebrows at Angela’s noticeably thicker German accent – the tell-tale sign that Angela was drunk.

 “Aw c’mon, Angie. Don’t be such a downer,” Jesse laughed. “We’re doing that new thing that Americans do, what is it called…” He tapped his chin to find the word. “Co-parenting!”

 “I do not think that means what you think it means,” Hanzo whispered to his husband.

“No! No!" Angela was definitely drunk and her words slurred as she glared at Jesse, "If anything my daughter will be well-read, smart and sensible!” She didn’t realize how loud her voice got as she continued. “She could be a brain surgeon! _Wäre das nicht schön_!” The blonde nearly fell off of her stool in exclamation. Thankfully, Fareeha caught her.

 “But Angela,” Brigitte threw her head back and laughed. “That’s what _you_ do.”

 “And vat’s wrong with that?” came Angela’s mordant return and she tried to stand, nearly falling over in the process. Thankfully her wife was blessed with cat-like reflexes and caught her again.

 “And that is our signal for goodnight,” Fareeha said with a grin as she had to escort her wife out of the bar.

 “ _Auf weidersen_!” Angela had to have the last word as she was dragged out of the bar.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I got them all in there.  
> Orisa, Efi, Winston and Hammond are coming a bit later.  
> As always, thank you everyone for your views, kudos, favorites and comments!


	8. Chapter 8

 A week later and things were somewhat back to normal in the Amari-Ziegler household. 

“A little to the left. No. Up a bit more…that’s it. Now raise the right side.”

“Christ, Angela! Is the picture straight or not?”

Angela hummed a bit, tapping her finger on her chin as she stood in the newly decorated bedroom. “Angle the left side up just a hair…. Perfect!” Fareeha sighed in relief as she marked where the frame should go on the wall before hammering the nail in.

“Yes, that should do it!” Angela grinned and placed her hands on her hips, admiring the work the two had done on Hana's room. After the home inspection; they added a dresser and a bedside table. Ana insisted that Hana should have a desk, so she bought one. Reinhardt found a bookshelf at a thrift store and painted it to match the room. Angela couldn’t help herself and bought a few stuffed animals too.

Fareeha hung the picture on the pastel pink wall and stepped back, throwing an arm around her wife. She looked proudly on their work. “It looks great, Ange.” She kissed her wife’s cheek. Suddenly, Angela’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

“That better not be work. I’m not on call this week,” Angela muttered, fishing in her pocket for her phone. She pulled it out and they both saw the caller ID. Akande.

Perplexed, the pair looked at each other before Angela answered. “Hello?” She put the phone on speaker so Fareeha could hear as well.

“Have you seen the news?” Akande’s voice sounded rushed and stressed. 

“Uhm no, we’ve been busy,” Angela answered slowly, casting a fearful look towards Fareeha. The duo ran out of the room and across the hall to their room to turn on the TV. Fareeha quickly flipped it to a network news station.

_“…Right now the death toll is in the hundreds, but it is expected to rise as more bodies are being pulled from the rubble. It has been three years since the omnic of the sea rose from the waves. What prompted it to attack now? No one knows.”_

“Listen.” Akande’s voice was lost as the two women stared horrified at the television. Images of the beautiful city they had visited only a week prior now lay in ruins. “They’re evacuating Busan. How soon can you get a flight to Seoul?” Both women were silent. Angela couldn’t breathe. It felt as if she was kicked in the stomach and had the wind knocked out of her. Fareeha’s hands trembled. They both heard Akande sigh on the other end of the phone line.

“Look,” Akande’s voice was wavering, as if he was trying to hold back emotion. “I’m going to be honest with you." He breathed a heavy sigh. "I haven’t heard from Myung. Communications are sparse. I need you both to board a plane to Seoul, and we can rendezvous there. I am already on my way.”

_“All of Busan is in a panic,”_ the television reporter continued. " _The_ gwishin _shredded through the military defenses and struck directly into the city. Several buildings have collapsed and hundreds are still missing. The question lingering in everyone’s minds is: will they attack again?”_

“Angela? Fareeha?” Akande asked, startling Angela back to the present.

“Yes?” Her voice cracked. “Yeah…yeah we’ll be there as soon as we can.” She hung up the phone in a daze. The two women stood in silence as the TV rambled on about the attack. Fareeha felt dizzy as a fog clouded her vision and she steadied herself on the bed before she fell over.

“Angela…” she muttered once she had her voice back. “She can’t be…?” Fareeha didn’t want to finish the question that was on both of their minds.

“No.” Angela whipped around and glared at her wife. “I will not allow such thoughts.” She stormed to their closet and started pulling out clothes and throwing them on the bed.

Fareeha was still trying to get over the shock. Her mind was a whir of “what if” questions. Suddenly, a t-shirt landed square in her face. She pulled it off and looked at Angela with concern. Her wife’s eyes were red with unshed tears. Fareeha tore herself out of her stupor. 

“I’ll find flights to Seoul.” She quickly sat down at the computer and started typing.

The two women were silent as they each tried to focus solely on their tasks, but their minds were far away. Angela felt like she was going to be sick but she tried to remain focused on haphazardly packing.

“I got us a one-way flight to Seoul,” Fareeha said, her eyes focused on the screen. “I can add a hotel since we don’t know how long we’ll be there.” She turned in her chair to look at Angela. Her wife looked ghost-white as she paused in her frantic packing.

“Go ahead and book a room if you can,” Angela said, flicking her eyes up at Fareeha who didn’t move. 

“For how many?” Fareeha said slowly, as if her words were the trigger to some bomb that could go off. 

“Two adults, one child,” Angela stated as she turned back to the mess of clothes she had piled in the bag.

“Angie…” Fareeha’s voice was soft as she stood she could see Angela’s lips quivering in efforts to hold back tears.

Fareeha’s stomach did flips. What if they came back without Hana? Fareeha felt sick even thinking about that. The doctor was still as a statue as Fareeha walked over and wrapped her arms around the woman. That was all it took for Angela to burst into tears. Fareeha couldn’t stop her own tears from cascading down her cheeks and dripping into Angela’s hair.

“Fareeha, what do we do?” Angela’s plea was muffled by her wife’s shirt she had her face buried in. Fareeha took a deep breath of Angela’s hair.

“We go to Seoul. We find her.” Fareeha stroked Angela’s blonde hair as she tried to slow her breathing.

There was a knock on the front door that caused both of them to jump. Angela was quick to try and regain her composure. With furrowed brows Fareeha went downstairs to investigate the visitor.

Fareeha opened the door and was tackled into a hug by her brother-in-law. “Fareeha! We rushed over as soon as we saw the news about Busan.” 

Angela descended the stairs after fixing her mascara. “Jesse?”

“Angie!” Jesse raced over and hugged her too. “We saw the news about Busan. Do you know what’s going on?” he asked as he pulled away, looking apprehensive.

Angela cast a downward gaze at the floor. “We don’t know much. Akande called.” She looked up at her brother; he looked tense as he tried to hold back his creeping dread. “He doesn’t know where Hana is. He said he can’t get a hold of the foster mother.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, and Jesse wrapped her in his arms again.

“We booked a flight to Seoul. We leave at 1 am.” said Fareeha.

“We can take you to the airport,” Hanzo quickly responded. The quiet man caught Fareeha off guard and she spun to face him. He had worry painted on his face. 

“Everything will be fine,” Jesse reassured with his signature goofy smile as he wiped a stray tear off of Angela’s cheek. “Hey! Think of it this way. This is just like if you went into premature labor, Ange!” Jesse tried to quip. Hanzo groaned and pulled his husband’s hat down over his face. Angela’s cheeks blushed red but it got a shaky smile out of both women and, to Jesse, that was a win.

Fareeha’s growling stomach caught everyone’s attention. “Heh, sorry we may be a bit hungry. We spent all day finishing Hana’s room.”

Hanzo raised a sharp eyebrow. “I will order pizza.” He pulled out his phone.

“It’s fine, Hanzo,” Angela said.

“Nonsense, you both are under enough stress as it is.” Hanzo waved her off, and Angela opened her mouth to protest again, but Jesse put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“I find it best not to argue,” he told her and Angela let it drop.

Angela and Fareeha devoured a large pizza between them. Angela didn’t realize how hungry she actually was considering she was running on three cups of coffee and stress. Jesse cleaned up so that it was all one less thing that they had to worry about. Hanzo watched the two women with concern.

Fareeha was like a tornado as she grabbed whatever she thought was necessary to take with them. Angela was more like a statue sitting in front of the TV desperately searching for the little girl with pink lipstick.

“I can’t book a hotel!” Fareeha yelled as she raced down the stairs. Angela was on her feet like a rocket. 

“What do you mean?” The blonde raced to her wife with a look of disbelief.

“There’s too much chaos. Either the hotels are booked up or crazy expensive,” Fareeha said. Angela’s went wide with terror. 

“I am sure there will be something set up for families in Seoul,” Hanzo spoke up, trying to calm them down. Fareeha bit her lip as Angela looked anxiously to the clock.

“We should go,” Angela said as precious seconds ticked by. She raced up the stairs and grabbed both of their duffle bags. She threw the blue and yellow one at Fareeha, who caught it just before it smacked her in the face. Angela threw her own white and orange one over her shoulder and raced out the door.

“You’re not going to make the plane take off faster…” Jesse grumbled as he followed her to his truck. It was an old, beat up extended cab pick-up that Gabriel and Jack bought for him years ago. It was old, and it didn't age gracefully. The black paint had scratches along the side, rust adorned the wheel wells, and the power windows no longer worked. Jesse loved the thing. He even went so far as to name it “Peacekeeper” after several arguments between him and his husband were settled in the bed of the truck.

Angela and Fareeha were sardined in the back with their bags between them. Hanzo took the passenger side. Jesse was able to turn the engine over after the third key turn and the rust bucket roared to life. It never failed to put a smile on Jesse’s face to hear his baby sing. To everyone else it sounded like a dying horse.

“Wait, have you called work?” Fareeha asked Angela after a few moments of silence.

“ _Scheiße,_ ” Angela cursed and frantically flipped through her phone. Her hands were shaky as she called Dr. O’Deorain to take her shifts for her. 

Fareeha emailed her job to let them know she was taking vacation days. Being head of campus security gave her a bit more leeway. She then texted her mother to let her know what was going on. Of course Ana already knew most of it.

“Moira said she would cover for me.” Angela breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she hung up the phone. Fareeha visibly relaxed as well. “She said I owe her later.”

Peacekeeper sputtered to the airport and soon they found themselves in the drop off zone. Jesse turned back to the duo and asked, “Do you want us to come in with you?” Fareeha shook her head. 

“We’ll be alright from here.” She opened the door and stepped out with Angela. 

“Thank you Jesse and you too, Hanzo.” Angela pushed an unruly strand of blonde behind her ear as the wind began to pick up. 

“Don’t mention it,” Jesse said with a lop-sided grin. “You go get my niece, gotcha?” He winked at them and tipped his hat. Hanzo rolled his eyes at his husband’s antics but nodded. 

“And be safe,” Hanzo added. Angela and Fareeha waved them goodbye before heading into the airport.

Much like with their last trip to Korea, this one also had a layover in Heathrow. Unlike their last trip, however, they were in somber moods. Angela couldn’t take her eyes off the televisions that showed news reports from Busan. Every time she looked the casualty number increased and the sick feeling in her stomach grew.

The duo didn’t have much time to dwell on the matter. Once they landed in Heathrow they had exactly 34 minutes to make it to their next gate. Fareeha was sprinting through the airport with Angela hot on her heels. The two women weaved in and out of people. Angela would apologize weakly to anyone she accidentally ran into. 

Even when one of those people was an omnic. She felt horrible as her stomach tightened with every omnic she saw in the busy airport. She knew deep down that the omnics that attacked Busan were not like the ones that live peacefully with humans. She knew this but it doesn’t stop the instinctual tug in her gut when she saw one walk by.

The pair frantically searched for their gate. To accommodate with the rush of people wanting to get out of Korea, several air carriers added more flights. Making it all the more confusing to find the right one. Their flight was at an unfamiliar gate and the pair wandered around to find it.

“24…25…26…” Fareeha counted. “Where’s gate 27?” She couldn’t see the number marking their designated departure zone. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she stormed around to continue looking. Angela clung onto Fareeha’s arm as she nervously scanned the large room.

“There!” Angela pointed and shouted as if she had won the lottery. Gate 27 was already boarding passengers to Seoul. The duo ran for the gate, almost bowling over the stewardess taking tickets. Fareeha could hear her heart beating in her ears when they finally sat down in their seats on the plane. Angela closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath.

They had made it.

Even though Angela drugged herself to sleep during the flight, she found it hard to stay asleep. Every time she closed her eyes visions of fire and carnage flooded her mind. Even when she did eventually drift off to sleep she had nightmares.

_There she was again, back in Zurich when the omnics attacked. She was seven-years-old and what had started as a nice day out with her parents turned into terror. The Swiss Omnium had exploded, sending debris and corrupted omnics everywhere into the city. Hospitals were flooded with patients as the damage devastated the city. She was watching a butterfly flutter past when she heard their pagers go off. Her parents were quick to get home before going to the hospital where they both were respected surgeons._

_“Angela,” her father spoke, kneeling down so he was looking up at her. Through the years the details of his face had faded. She remembered green eyes and brown hair but nothing else. “You have to be a big girl now, okay? Mommy and Daddy have work to do. We love you very much.” He kissed the top of her head, and her mother hugged her._

_That was the last thing she could remember of them. There was another attack of rogue omnics. This one focused directly on the hospital in order to cripple attempts to save lives. Her parents never came back._

“Angela.” Fareeha’s voice had Angela sitting bolt upright and breathing heavily. She looked over to her wife who had a book in her hand. “The dream again?” she asked, carefully placing her bookmark and closing her book. Angela bit her bottom lip and nodded. Fareeha set the book down and leaned over the armrest to wrap her arm around her wife. She pulled the blonde into her and watched as she drifted back to sleep.

It was around 11pm local time when their plane touched down in Seoul. Fareeha could see that it was drizzling rain outside and she found it fitting that the weather matched their dreary moods. They both got their bags and shuffled out of the plane and into the airport. Even for how late it was the airport bustled with panicked activity. People ran about aimlessly looking for loved ones. Some people crowded around the televisions set to the news. Still others decided to find the bar and drink away their sorrows.

Angela’s eyes caught the shoddily hung corkboards next to the arrival and departure screens. As if compelled, she walked closer. On them were hundreds of papers with pictures of people and words written in Korean.

Angela could read a few. Words like “Missing” and “Busan” kept repeating over and over again on the flyers. She watched as people raced from corkboard to corkboard in search of a familiar face. Angela felt a hand tighten around her own. She looked up to see Fareeha staring into the middle distance, her jaw clenched as she fought to hold back tears.

Angela clung onto her wife’s arm. “I’ll call Akande,” she said and pulled her phone out listened to it ring.

And ring.

And ring.

And ring.

Voicemail.

“ _Verdammt,”_ Angela cursed and Fareeha looked to her wife nervously.

“Try again.” Fareeha encouraged, leaning in to listen to the phone ring.

And ring.

And ring.

And ring.

No answer.


	9. Chapter 9

“Fareeha, you have to stop pacing. You’re making me nervous,” Angela scolded even though her leg was bouncing in anxiety as she sat in the airport. They watched people pass by as nameless faces among a crowd of anonymous figures, each one entangled in their own personal hell as news filtered through about the status of Busan. The situation looked grim as more and more tear-stained faces passed by. Fareeha stopped to look at her wife.

“Have you tried calling again?” Fareeha asked, her eyes focused intently on Angela.

“I’ve filled his voicemail inbox with messages,” Angela replied with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. After hours of not hearing anything, the two women were barely keeping it together. Fareeha already had a list of worst-case scenarios playing out in her head, and Angela was sipping her second cup of coffee in some misguided attempt at keeping herself calm.

It appeared that everyone in the airport was in the same boat as they were. More flights were added to accommodate the flood of people evacuating, and the airport filled with refugees from Busan. From what the duo could tell, these people seemed to be among the wealthy. They were able to pack bags and other worldly possessions before fleeing. During the chaos another corkboard appeared, this one only having three sheets of paper on it.

It listed the names of the dead as they were identified. 

Fareeha watched several people wander over only to burst into tears seeing the name of a loved one. She saw mothers cry over their children, siblings hold each other in solidarity, and children wondering why daddy wasn’t coming home. It made Fareeha sick. She steered clear of that corkboard. 

“Why don’t we walk around for a bit?” Fareeha offered, tearing her eyes away. Angela tried calling Akande again to no avail. 

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Angela stood, slung her duffle bag over her shoulder and took her wife’s hand. They walked around the terminal past security. Angela grabbed another cup of coffee as they ducked in and out of the little shops that dotted the hall. Fareeha stood in front of the magazine rack in a staring contest with the models on the covers. She wanted something to take her mind off of things and thought a little light reading would help. Granted, reading Korean was something she still had to work on.

“Fareeha! Look at this!” Angela sprinted over to her with a stuffed animal in her arms. Well, Fareeha thought it was an animal. It looked more like a turnip with tentacles. Fareeha had seen the thing advertised around the airport as some kind of mascot. “Isn’t it cute? I don’t know what it is but I love it!” Angela shoved the thing in Fareeha’s face so she could get a better look at it. It wasn’t any animal that Fareeha recognized. “I’m getting it for Hana,” Angela told her and Fareeha couldn’t stop the small smile that spread over her face. Angela was stubbornly clinging onto any hope she had. It reminded Fareeha of why she fell in love with this woman. That even in the direst of situations, with the most critical patients, Angela found hope.

The couple poked around the other shops in the terminal. A little retail therapy helped calm them down and keep the lingering dread at bay. Even as rumors filled the terminal that another attack was underway, Fareeha felt like with Angela she could take on the world.

Soon the battery on Angela’s phone was dying so they made their way to a few chairs by an outlet against the wall. From their spot they had a good view of the incoming and outgoing flights and passengers. The two women searched every face, desperately trying to find the imposing figure of Akande. It didn’t take long for them to realize how tired they were. Soon exhaustion soon took its toll and both women fell asleep. 

\----

Angela didn’t consider herself a high-maintenance woman. Sure, she spent about an hour doing her hair and makeup in the morning. She liked her pillows to be a certain fluffiness. She liked to have her clothes clean and pressed. She liked to be presentable in the mornings. But that was when she had enough sleep to be functional.

She hadn’t slept well. Her hair was a complete mess, her clothes disheveled, and she clutched her coffee from the previous night in a death grip. Fareeha hardly slept and her back ached as she stood and stretched. She looked over to Angela, who stared off into space and sipped her now-chilly coffee. 

“Why don’t we go get breakfast or something ?” Fareeha offered, afraid to poke her grumpy bear of a wife. 

“Sounds good,” came Angela’s short reply, and she stood with her duffle bag in hand. The pair walked over to a small café. There wasn’t much room to sit anywhere. Even more people were camped out in the airport frantically awaiting news about loved ones in Busan. Fareeha was able to muscle over to a cramped table where she and Angela were able to sit. While there was an assortment of Korean dishes available, Fareeha opted for a simple bagel. Angela had more coffee.

“Babe. You gotta have more than just coffee.” Fareeha was genuinely concerned for her wife’s health at this point.

“I’ll be fine,” Angela replied, staring at her phone that she had placed on the table between them. Fareeha shook her head.

“I really don’t think-” Fareeha was about to say but was cut short when Angela reached over the table and grabbed her half-eaten bagel off her plate. The doctor took a bite of it before placing it back.

“Happy?” Angela said with a mouthful of bagel. Fareeha couldn’t help but chuckle as she opened her mouth to reply. The words caught in her throat when Angela’s phone buzzed, taking both women by surprise.

It was Akande. Angela’s pupils dilated as fear gripped her throat. She gazed up at Fareeha whose face was pale white with the same fear. Both of them wanted to reach for the phone to answer it, but apprehension froze them. What if the news was bad? What if it was Akande calling to tell them Hana’s name was on one of the papers on the new corkboard?  Fareeha took a deep breath. The suspense was eating at her. She answered the phone and placed it on speaker. 

“Hello?” She inwardly cursed at herself for how shaky her voice sounded when she answered. 

“Fareeha!” Akande sounded relieved. “Is Angela with you?”

“I’m here,” Angela answered, her voice was also shaking.

“Good. Listen.” If Akande noticed the shakiness he didn’t say anything. “Are you both in Seoul?”

“Yes, we’re in Incheon Airport,” Fareeha said. Akande let out a hum of approval. Angela clutched the turnip creature to her chest and tried to keep her breath steady.

“Alright. I need you to go to the Seoul station for the KTX train. We will meet there,” Akande said and Angela’s heart skipped a beat.

“Wait, is Hana with you?” Fareeha asked, her heart pounding in her head.

“No.” Akande stated bluntly. Angela forgot how to breathe. “I am on my way to speak with Myung.”

“Is she…? Is everyone ok?” Angela’s brain worked faster than her mouth did. “She has to be okay, she has to be!” She raised her voice as the caffeine did most of the talking for her. She stood from her seat as she yelled into the phone. “I have this weird turnip alien thing to give her! She _has_ to be okay! She just has to!”

Fareeha placed a hand on Angela’s shoulder in an effort to calm her down. Angela felt the eyes of people staring at her after witnessing her outburst. Some whispered in hushed tones, never taking their eyes off of her. She sheepishly sat back down. Akande sighed and paused. It was the longest pause of Fareeha’s life.

“As far as I know, Hana and everyone else are all fine. Myung’s place was hit pretty hard but everyone is alright.” Relief crashed over both women like a tsunami. “I will meet you at the train station.” Akande said before he hung up without pleasantries.

Angela and Fareeha stared at each other for what felt like forever. Both of their faces were a mix of relief and shock. Fareeha felt like she was just awoken from the longest nightmare of her life. Angela’s relief was like a warm blanket wrapped around her. She leaned over the table to kiss her wife. Tears of elation fell down her cheeks.

A few people glared in envy; however it was overall welcome to see happiness among the cloud of gloom that hung over the airport. 

\----

The train station was packed. Much like the airport, people scrambled to hear anything about loved ones. Here is where most refugees from Busan came first. People getting off the train looked to be in shock more than anything. Several had minor injuries. Angela knew the more severely injured were transported to area hospitals, but she still saw people limping with casts and bandaged.

“Why don’t we find a place to sit?” Fareeha offered as she looked around. There wasn’t much of an option as the train station was so overwhelmed with people. Like the airport, there were several small shops and cafés in the station. Unlike the airport, some of these shops were giving away free things or things at drastically reduced prices for those coming from Busan. The novelty store passed out free water bottles, the book store had blankets and the café had free coffee.

Fareeha knew where they were headed, and she led Angela towards the packed café. They passed familiar corkboards with missing posters littering the front of it. Like the airport, one corkboard was reserved for the dead. Instead of three papers there were now five. Angela breezed past that corkboard and squeezed her way into the café. There was nothing that was going to stand between her and a cup of coffee.

There wasn’t any place to sit, so Angela and Fareeha took to sitting on the ground with their backs against a wall as they watched train after train come and go. Fareeha frantically texted with her mother, who wanted to know every single detail about what was going on. If Fareeha hadn’t specifically told her not to, Ana would have flown over as well.

Angela texted with her fathers and kept them updated. Jack had told her that the bar was packed and the news played on every TV they had. Gabriel was almost inconsolable and had taken to stress-eating Zarya’s doughnuts. Angela could tell Jack was worried as well; his normally perfect grammar was nowhere to be seen.

As the day grew long Fareeha worried they would have to spend the night here like they did at the airport. As the next train pulled into station Fareeha’s hopes weren’t very high. She tried to close her eyes to maybe get a few minutes of sleep. It didn’t last, because soon the side of her arm was frantically being smacked at by her wife. Fareeha opened a lazy eye and glared at Angela. She didn’t seem to care as she stared off past Fareeha to something the other direction.

Fareeha turned around and that was when she saw them.

It wasn’t hard to miss the mountainous man walking in the crowd. He wore a suit though he looked a bit disheveled. Even as far away as they were, Fareeha could see the look of fatigue on the man’s face. In one hand he held his signature briefcase. In the other was the hand of a little girl.

She could only hold on to the man’s two fingers because his hand was so large. Her big brown eyes were wide in wonder as she looked at everything in the train station. There was no sign of the pink lipstick lines on her cheeks. Her hair was messily made, simply pulled back with a pink headband. All she had with her was a small backpack and a stuffed pink bunny rabbit held closely to her chest.

Time seemed to slow down as Akande and Hana approached. Both women scrambled to their feet. He wore a small smile on his face at seeing them.

“It is good to see you both,” Akande greeted before turning to Hana with a nod. “You remember Angela and Fareeha?” he asked her. Hana furrowed her eyebrows.

“From Sweetzerlend?” The little girl asked, looking up at the two women. Akande laughed, a sound that filled the station and startled the two women who were used to seeing only stoicism from the man. Fareeha bit the inside of her cheek just to be sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Angela was the first to regain her composure, and she knelt down to Hana’s level. “You remember us?” She asked the girl, and Hana nodded.

“Uh huh! Miss Myung said that you were really nice!” The little girl grinned, showing off the gaps in her teeth. “Miss Myung said you were gonna come back and see me! But then the omnics attacked!” Hana flailed her arms around in excitement as she recounted the story. “They were everywhere! And Yuna was scared but I said ‘Don’t worry! I got this!’ and D.Va saved her! She was like ‘Pow! Pow! Pow!’” Hana punched the air with her tiny fists for emphasis. “And D.Va was like ‘No!’ and she fought them off with her giant robot!” Hana held her arms out as if they were wings and ran in a tight circle. “And the omnics were scared and they ran away!” Fareeha saw Angela physically tense at the mention of the omnic attack and worry etched her face. “And then Mr. ‘Kande showed up and was like ‘You get to come with me,’ and I had to say bye to Yuna, and I told her not to be ‘fraid ‘cuz D.Va will always ‘tect her! And then we got to go on the super-fast train!”

“Hana,” Akande butted in, interrupting her story. “Do you know why Angela and Fareeha are here?” he asked the little girl, also kneeling down to get to her level.

“’Cuz they wanna 'tect from the omnics?” Hana questioned, genuinely not sure.

“Well, sort of. Hana, you’ll be going home with them,” Akande tried to explain but Hana looked confused. Angela’s breath caught in her throat. What if Hana didn’t want to leave Korea? What if she didn’t want to go with them? Her heart beat in her ears until she felt the soft comfort of Fareeha’s hand on her shoulder.

“To Sweetzerlend?” Hana asked, and Akande shook his head, trying a different approach.

“Remember Dae-hyun?” Akande asked her. Hana’s face lit up, and she nodded furiously.

“Uh huh! He’s my best friend! Then he found his forever family!” Hana explained as she rocked back and forth on her feet. Akande smiled.

“Yes, that’s right. He found his forever family…and now you have yours,” he told her, gesturing to the two women. Fareeha watched as Hana froze, her mind processing the information. The air was thick with tension as the little girl was silent for a moment. It was only a fraction of a second until Hana was bouncing up and down in excitement.

“Really!?” Her high-pitched voice rang throughout the train station. Angela felt relief begin to well up in her chest.

“Yes, really,” she told the preschooler before she was tackled in a hug. Fareeha had to steady Angela so she didn’t fall over. Hana was quick to release the blonde and rush to Fareeha, wrapping herself around the woman’s legs.

“I get to live in a big house?” Hana asked, looking up at Fareeha who smiled and nodded. The woman was so caught up in the relief and excitement that words escaped her. It was fine, since Hana had plenty. “Wif a yard? And videogames?” Hana’s face lit up.

“Yes, and your own room too,” Angela said.

“This is the best day ever!!!” Hana’s squeal could be heard throughout the train station.

“How about lunch?” Akande interrupted as people began to stare at them. “You must be hungry.” Hana nodded but continued to bounce excitedly.

“Before I forget,” Angela smiled and dug in her duffle bag to pull out the weird turnip thing. “This is for you.” She tentatively held it out to Hana who gasped in disbelief.

“You got a Pachimari!?” Hana asked, and Angela nodded assuming that’s what the creature was.

Hana squealed and threw her arms around Angela again. The woman felt as if her heart was going to explode. She had to choke back tears as she hugged the girl back.

Akande rose to his feet. “Where would you like to eat?” he asked the assembled family. Hana bounced around as if she was a wind-up toy with a full charge.

“McDonald’s!” Hana decided for them as she pointed to the golden arches of the small restaurant that was inside the station. 

\----

“I booked you a hotel room for the night and a flight out of Seoul for tomorrow,” Akande explained once they got their food and wrestled for a place to sit. He hadn’t even opened his hamburger before he pulled out a folder with hotel reservations and tickets. 

Angela set the fork of her salad down. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“It’s on the agency.” Akande said before the look on his face turned grim. “I still need to stay here for a few more days to help piece things back together.” Angela raised an eyebrow in curiosity and Akande sighed sadly. “The city got hit hard. Buildings are flattened.” He lowered his voice so Hana couldn’t hear. “Even the outer areas were affected. Myung’s place was badly damaged, and the agency’s Korean headquarters was demolished.”

“Min-seo?” Angela asked, referring to the young woman who was their liaison through this process. Akande’s eyes went dark and he looked down at his wrapped up hamburger. His lack of an answer was enough for Angela.

Fareeha heard the conversation. “What’s your bunny’s name?” she asked Hana, hoping the girl didn’t understand what they were talking about. Hana, who had torn into her kid’s meal, held out the stuffed pink bunny for Fareeha to get a better look at it.

“Tokki!” Hana answered with a mouthful of French fries.

“That’s a very nice name.” Fareeha grinned.

“So I was able to push emergency paperwork through,” Akande passed Angela a sheet of paper. “I just need both of your signatures stating that Hana is now yours.”

Angela couldn’t have signed that paper fast enough. She slid it to Fareeha who also signed it rapidly. Hana, who heard the mention of her name, perked up.

“I wanna see!” She went to grab at the paper with her ketchup-covered hand but Akande was quick to snatch it away, much to the little girl’s dismay.

“Then it’s all settled.” He said as he slipped the paper back into his brief case. “You are now officially a family.” 

\----

True to his word, Akande got them a hotel room. The hotel itself was far from the airport, but it was all that was available. It was modest - two full beds, a TV and microwave. It had all the typical accommodations including gaudy floral print curtains, suspicious stains in the carpeting, the stale smell of cigarette smoke, and stiff, bleached sheets.

As soon as Angela opened the door to the room, Hana rushed inside. She went for the first bed she saw and leapt on it, giggling while she bounced up and down on the mattress.

“This is fun! Where do we gets ta go next?” Hana asked, sitting up and looking at the two women who were both exhausted. Fareeha wanted nothing more than to faceplant into bed and sleep. But she knew that would no longer be an option with a rambunctious preschooler.

Angela smiled and set her duffle bag down on the chair, “We’ll be going home. Gibraltar.”

“What's that?” Hana asked as she scrambled to the side of the bed to get closer to the two women.

“A country in Europe,” Fareeha answered as she took her shoes off and sat on the unoccupied bed.

“Is it like Sweetzerlend?” Hana asked, then gasped. “Does it have candy!?”

Fareeha couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s where the rest of your forever family lives,” she explained. Hana’s eyes went wide.

“There’s more?” Hana clutched both Tokki and her new Pachimari close to her chest; it looked like the girl was going to explode with excitement.

“A lot of family.” Angela laughed thinking of not only her fathers and brother, but her mother-in-law, and everyone in the bar a week ago. She was sure that everyone was sitting in the bar now worried about what was going on. Angela kicked her shoes off and texted her fathers an update that they had Hana and were heading home tomorrow.

Seconds later Jesse replied: “ _You nearly gave Pop a heart attack. He’s giving out free drinks to everyone.”_ Angela chuckled, picturing Gabriel handing out drinks like water and Jack unable to stop him.

“I wanna go now! Can we see them now?” Hana squealed enthusiastically.

“No, we have to take a plane to go see them. It doesn’t leave until tomorrow,” Fareeha explained. Again, Hana stared in wonder.

“We gets ta go on a airplane!” Hana gasped, and Angela nodded, chuckling at the young girl’s excitement.

“Tomorrow,” she said. “For now, we have to get ready for bed. It’s late.” Angela took a moment to look at the small backpack Hana had. “Did you bring anything to change into?”

“Miss Myung told us to only bring ‘portant things,” Hana answered, taking off her backpack and dumping all of its contents onto the bed. There were several handheld videogame consoles, games, and wires for various chargers. No toothbrush, no comb for her messy hair, and no other clothes.

Fareeha sniggered in amusement. “I’m sure I probably have a spare t-shirt you can wear.” She riffled through her duffle bag and pulled out her “University of Gibraltar Campus Staff” shirt and passed it to the little girl.

“Alright, now get changed and ready for bed,” Angela told her. Hana nodded before scampering into the bathroom, leaving the two women alone.

For the first time, the quiet was unwelcome as the two women sat on their bed.

Angela stared at the bathroom door. “So this is what it’s going to be like now?” she asked softly, a small smile working its way on her lips. Fareeha hummed and wrapped her arms around her wife.

“Yeah. It’s not just you and me anymore. It’s you, me and Hana.”

Angela pressed herself into Fareeha’s embrace and kissed her wife.

“I love it,” she said. Their moment was cut short as the small ball of vivacity bolted out of the bathroom and made a bee-line for their bed. With Tokki in her arms, Hana catapulted into the occupied bed, catching Angela and Fareeha off-guard.

“Can I sleeps with you? Yuna always lets me sleeps with her,” Hana said, though she made herself comfortable under the covers without waiting for an answer.

“Yes you can, Hana.” Angela smiled and Fareeha moved over so Hana could nestle in between them.

It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we near the end of this season I want to again thank my editor for sticking through all the rough drafts I throw her way.  
> Also thank you to everyone who has viewed/commented/kudoed this work. It means the world to me that you enjoy this.  
> Buckle up, because we are far from over in this storyline.


	10. Chapter 10

Angela wasted no time in buying Hana clean clothes to wear before they embarked on the plane ride home. Of course, Hana had to pick out her own outfit, so she was skipping through the airport terminal wearing a little pink sundress that had bunnies on it with mismatched polka dot leggings.

Angela insisted that Hana hold her hand as they wandered to their terminal. It was a good thing too because Hana wanted to see everything. She darted from side to side and jerked to a stop every once in a while to see a plane take off.

Fareeha was in charge of the baggage; she had one duffle bag in each hand and Hana’s little backpack on her back. Once the trio made it onto the plane, Hana sat in her seat sandwiched between the two women. She bounced up and down excitedly as the flight attendants made final checks.

Fareeha was texting her mother when Hana climbed over her lap to look out the window. “So we go in the air?” Hana asked for the fifth time since the trio arrived in the airport. Fareeha nodded.

“Yep, we get to be in the air for a long time before we land again, then we have to get on another plane to take us home,” Fareeha explained, glancing up from where she looked at Hana to Angela who was white-knuckling the armrests.

The blonde doctor decided to forego her regular sleeping pills in order to help keep an eye on Hana. Part of her was regretting that decision as she could already feel the unrest in her stomach. She looked over to Fareeha who was smiling while listening to one of Hana’s stories. With a deep breath, Angela tried to calm herself down before the plane took off.

The long flight was uneventful, and Hana entertained herself with some of her many games. To Angela’s delight she was able to sleep for a good portion of the flight, only waking up a few times to take Hana to the bathroom. Fareeha had nearly drained the in-flight movie selection.

The next flight home, however, was rough and bumpy. Angela spent most of it in the plane’s bathroom trying to keep her lunch down. Hana was getting restless; she wasn’t used to sitting still for this long, and her videogames became boring and she looked for some new adventure.

Fareeha worked hard to keep Hana out of the aisles and annoying their neighbors with questions. Suddenly, and idea popped into her mind and she dug in her bag to pull something out. It caught Hana’s attention as Fareeha unfolded it.

“What’s that?” Hana asked as Fareeha expanded the large piece of paper.

“It’s a map; it shows every place in the world.” Fareeha explained.

“Even Sweetzerlend?” Hana gasped as she looked around the map for something marking this mythical land she only recently heard of.

“Switzerland is here.” Fareeha pointed to central Europe. “We were here, in South Korea.” She pointed to the peninsula attached to China. “I’m from Egypt, which is here.” She pointed to the top part of Africa.

“Why is it all so small?” Hana asked as she followed Fareeha’s finger across the world. The woman laughed.

“It’s just a picture,” she explained and Hana nodded.

“Where we goin’?” Hana asked, and Fareeha pointed to a small country in the south of Spain.

“Here. Gibraltar,” Fareeha answered, and Hana nodded.

“Are they omnics there?” Hana asked as she held Tokki and Pachimari close to her chest. Fareeha didn’t miss the slight look of terror in Hana’s face. There were omnics that lived among humans in Gibraltar and their relations were peaceful.

“There aren’t any omnics like the ones in South Korea,” Fareeha explained to the girl who shivered slightly.

Angela came back from the restroom paler than when she went in. Fareeha assumed it was because there was nothing left in her wife’s stomach.

“Ang’la!” Hana chirped when the blonde sat back down. “We goin’ to…” Hana struggled with the word and looked back at Fareeha who answered for her.

“Gibraltar.”

“Gib’ rall-tor!” Hana parroted the best she could with the widest grin she could muster. Angela nodded.

“Yes, I know,” she smiled and looked to Fareeha who shared the same grin.

\----

Angela had arranged that Jesse meet them at the airport in her car. Since their flight was surprisingly on time, everything went smoothly. The three of them breezed out of the secure area and entered the large foyer where most families waited for their loved ones.

Even amongst the dozens of people waiting for their families, it was hard to miss the cowboy standing with his embarrassed husband. They both held a giant sign that looked like a craft store exploded on it with the words “WELCOME HOME HANA” written in bright marker.  

Though the little girl could hardly read and English wasn’t her first language; she knew enough to be able to recognize her name. Hana tugged on Angela’s hand and pointed to the sign. Fareeha couldn’t contain her laughter as Jesse waved them over just in case they had suddenly gone blind and couldn’t see them.

“Hana, this is your Uncle Jesse and Uncle Hanzo,” Angela explained as they walked over. Jesse knelt down and tipped his hat to Hana.

“Howdy, miss. Nice to finally meet you,” he held out his hand for her to shake.

Hana hesitated and looked to Angela and Fareeha for guidance. It took a minute for Fareeha to put the pieces together as to why Hana was confused.

“ _Samchon_ Jesse and _Samchon_ Hanzo,” she stated, using the Korean word for uncle. Once she heard that, Hana’s eyes lit up and she threw herself at Jesse with a big hug. Jesse was surprised by the sudden action, evident by the way he froze momentarily before hugging her back. The smile on his face warmed Angela’s heart.

Hana let go of Jesse and hugged Hanzo, wrapping her arms around the man’s legs excitedly. The aloof Japanese man was frozen in place, uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. After a moment looking to Jesse for reassurance, he tried to hug the girl back but he didn’t want to touch her, so his hand hovered in mid-air.

“Thank you for picking us up, Jesse,” Angela said. Jesse grinned from ear to ear.

“Anytime, sis!” Jesse wrapped an arm around the blonde. “Now let’s get you three home.”

Jesse grabbed the bags Fareeha was holding, and they all went to the parking garage to find Angela’s Subaru. Hana was bouncing everywhere as she chased after Jesse, giggling. Hanzo and Angela watched carefully as Fareeha ran up behind Hana and scooped her up and placed her on her shoulders, making the young girl squeal in delight.

Jesse unlocked the SUV and put the bags in the back. He then opened the back seat. “Your carriage my lady,” he said, bowing like a chauffeur leading a princess to her royal carriage. Hana loved it, laughing as Fareeha put her down.

Hana was the first to notice the new car seat as she scrambled inside. It was pink and purple which were her favorite colors. Fareeha stood slack-jawed at the surprise addition to Angela’s car. With Hana coming so early, she and her wife had limited time to prepare. Their big shopping trip was on the calendar for next week and they hadn’t gotten any of the essentials yet. So seeing a brand new (somewhat expensive) car seat already configured and secured in the back of Angela’s car took both women by surprise.

“Jesse…” Angela was able to stammer and looked to her brother. Jesse held his hands up defensively.

“Don’t look at me! Torbjörn and Brigitte got it for her,” he said. Hanzo nodded as he came up behind them.

“Torbjörn’s idea,” Hanzo snickered, seeing how fitting it was that the man who was barely 5 feet tall himself got Hana a booster seat. “Brigitte picked out the color.”

“That is awfully nice of them,” Angela said thankfully before she got in the back of the car to strap Hana in properly.

“We’ll have to send them a card,” Fareeha pointed out as she too got in the backseat with her wife. Hanzo took the passenger seat and Jesse drove.

Angela was glad to see the familiar streets and buildings come into view as they made their way back home. Hana’s eyes were glued to the window the entire car ride, fascinated by every little telephone pole that passed by. Fareeha was happy to be back on familiar ground once they pulled in their driveway. She was first out of the car and stood and stretched, even though all she wanted to do was sleep, her adrenaline was keeping her going. She could tell the same was true for her wife. Angela’s normally steady hands were trembling as she unbuckled Hana from the car seat and helped her out of the car.

“This your house?” Hana stared in awe at the spacious two-story home. Fareeha watched as Hana skimmed over every inch of the house with her eyes in wonder. It was probably the biggest house the little girl had ever seen and nothing like where she lived in South Korea.

“Yes,” Angela couldn’t stop the smile on her face if she wanted to. “This is where **we** live,” Angela unlocked the door of the house and led them inside. Hana vibrated with excitement, bolting from the kitchen, to the living room, and back to the foyer, opening every door and looking into every room. She seemed to want to see everything.

Hanzo brought their bags in from the car and set them on the couch. Jesse couldn’t stop himself from laughing as he watched Hana run back into the kitchen and began opening all the cabinet doors, the oven, and refrigerator to look inside.

“Hana, do you want to see your room?” Fareeha asked, stopping the girl from injuring herself sliding across the floor. Hana skidded to a stop.

“Yes!” she cried out, and Fareeha led her upstairs. Angela was about to follow when Jesse grabbed her arm to hold her back.

“Listen, I know y’all are pretty tired - it was a harrowing trip, I’m sure - but if y’all feel up to it, dads, Ana, and Reinhardt would love to see you three,” Jesse said.

Angela sighed. Her muscles ached from all of the tension she held in them. “It’s been a long trip, Fareeha and I are tired.”

“I know,” Jesse quickly interjected. “If you don’t want to that’s fine, but they’re all over at dads’ house,” he said sheepishly as Angela glared at him. Jesse held his hands up defensively; “Not my idea!”

Hanzo thought it best to enter the conversation before Angela bit Jesse’s head off. “They would like to have everyone over for dinner. Jack said he is making burgers.”

This caught Angela’s attention. The only time Gabriel would let Jack near anything food-related was if it involved the grill. The grill was Jack’s domain, and he ruled it like a proud emperor over his kingdom. Jack’s secret blend of spices made them the best burgers in town so she knew the invitation was going to be hard to turn down.

“Alright, we’ll have dinner,” Angela agreed, she was glad she didn’t have to worry about making any food. Jesse beamed and hugged her.

“You won’t regret it, Ange!” Jesse said and took Hanzo’s hand. “We’ll meet ya over there!”

And like that, the two men were gone out the door. Angela stared at the closed door for a second, before heading upstairs where she heard the excited chirping of the preschooler.

“This mine?!” Hana asked Fareeha in astonishment, her mouth hanging open as the two stood in the pink room. Hana was ecstatic, even though the room was pretty bare. The walls had hardly anything on them aside from a few photos, there weren’t any books in the bookcase, the desk was empty and had no chair, and the desk lamp they ordered still hadn’t come in the mail. With everything happening so fast, Angela felt guilty for not setting up the room better. Hana didn’t seem to care.

Fareeha chuckled and nodded. “Yes, this is your room.” She answered to a giddy Hana who hugged Fareeha’s waist in excitement. She let go when she noticed Angela in the doorway.

“This is mine!” the little girl told her, as if she didn’t already know.

“Yes, it is. Now we have one more thing to do today,” Angela said, noticing Fareeha furrow her eyebrows out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sure you’re hungry, and there are just a few more people to meet.”

\----

After they cleaned themselves up a bit the trio walked across the street. Even from their front door they could smell the deliciously tantalizing scent of burgers on the grill. It made Fareeha’s mouth water. Hana bounced around, clutching Tokki in her arms. Angela convinced her to leave Pachimari at home, but Hana insisted on bringing her stuffed bunny.

Fareeha raised her fist to knock on the door but before she could, the door swung wide open. Revealing a smiling Jesse on the other side, expecting them.

“Glad you could make it!” He tipped his hat at the three and let them inside.

Reinhardt stood with Ana in the kitchen chatting jovially while Gabriel floated around getting things in order. Hanzo stood outside watching Jack grill. Jack was probably giving Hanzo tips on grilling that Hanzo would promptly ignore. Bastion was outside hoping for some food to drop so he could snap it up. The large mastiff puppy had drool dripping from his jowls. Hana clutched Tokki closer to her chest and slipped behind Angela. Fareeha noticed the girl shiver in fear, her eyes darting between all the strangers in the room.

“Here,” Fareeha picked the girl up and sat her on her hip. Hana kept Tokki up by her face as she clung to the woman.

“Welcome home!” Reinhardt’s booming voice greeted them as they entered the kitchen. Fareeha felt Hana shake a bit and she gave him a stern look, gesturing at the frightened girl in her arms. Reinhardt nodded. “Welcome,” he whispered, which to normal people was a regular talking voice.

“How was your trip?” Ana asked, she purposely didn’t look at Hana in an effort to not frighten her.

“It was stressful,” Angela admitted, hugging Gabriel in greeting.

“Yeah, we had to sleep in the airport,” Fareeha added. Gabriel looked appalled.

“The agency couldn’t set you up with a hotel?” he asked, and Angela shook her head.

“We got a hotel after we got Hana,” she nodded towards the girl who peeked out from behind her bunny. Ana smiled at her, the elder woman brushed her silver hair over her eyepatch.

“Hello, Hana. We’ve heard a lot about you,” Ana greeted, and the curious girl pulled her bunny down so she could get a better look at this new woman with the sandpaper voice and pearly white hair.

“Hana, this is my mother. She’s your grandmother,” Fareeha explained as Ana slowly approached the two as if Hana was a frightened rabbit.

“Who is this with you?” Ana asked, shaking the little stuffed bunny’s arm in greeting.

“Tokki,” Hana replied softly.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Mr. Tokki,” Ana introduced herself to the stuffed bunny. Hana, who had her face hidden in the crook of Fareeha’s neck, began to peek out in interest.  

“Would Tokki like to meet everyone else?” Ana asked with a smile and Hana nodded. Fareeha raised both eyebrows in surprise at how well her mother reacted to Hana. Fareeha wasn’t sure how Ana would handle kids, considering she wasn’t around when Fareeha herself was growing up.

Ana gestured to Reinhardt, and the large German mountain of a man walked up and bowed dramatically for Hana which caused the little girl to laugh. “A pleasure to meet you!” he grinned in his typical cheery manner.

“This is Reinhardt. He would be your grandfather,” Ana said, and Fareeha tried not to grimace. She still wasn’t used to her mother dating, even though she loved Reinhardt. With a large smile, the man shook the bunny’s arm in greeting, and Hana giggled.

Angela let out a sigh of relief as she felt Hana warming up to everyone. Gabriel walked back into the kitchen after setting a bag of chips on the dining room table. He grinned when he saw Hana giggle.

“Hana, this is my father, Gabriel,” Angela spoke up, side-stepping Ana to bring him forward.

“You may call me _abuelo_ ,” Gabriel told the little girl and kissed her hand before kissing the bunny’s arm to match.

“Ah-bue-low.” Hana sounded out the strange word, and it made Gabriel laugh.

“Perfect!” His grin was infectious.

“Burgers are done,” Jack announced as he and Hanzo carried in plates of perfectly grilled burgers. Bastion barked and whined, smushing his nose against the sliding patio door in protest of being left outside. His drooling never stopped and formed a puddle at his large paws. Hana gripped Fareeha’s neck a bit tighter in fear of the large dog.

“This is your other grandpa, my dad, Jack,” Angela introduced the man who wore a small smile for the girl. Gabriel went straight to plating the burgers, and everyone took their seats. Fareeha set Hana between her and Angela. Hana sat with Tokki on her lap as Angela fixed her a plate with a small burger and some chips. Hana’s eyes were immediately drawn to the bright orange chips. Cautiously, she picked one up and took a small bite.

The nacho flavor was heavenly, her pupils dilated in wonder and soon all of the chips on her plate were gone. She reached for the bag for more of the precious chips; however, Angela was quicker and snatched the bag away from the little girl’s nacho-covered hand.

“Eat your burger first, and then you can have more chips,” she said, and Hana pouted slightly but did as she was told. Watching them, Ana’s smile could have lit up the room.

As dinner went on there was idle chatter about the latest trip to South Korea. Hana looked bored as the adults talked; she played with Tokki’s floppy ears.

“…and it was really nice of Torbjörn and Brigitte to get a booster seat for Hana,” Angela said with a sip of her wine, and there were hums of approval from the rest of the table.

“Well, they weren’t the only ones who got stuff for you,” Gabriel said, to which Fareeha and Angela looked on curiously. “Since Hana came a bit early, we all wanted to help out with things,” he explained. Reinhardt couldn’t contain his excitement and raced to the living room, bringing back two large gift bags.

“Ana and I couldn’t resist!” He grinned and set the bags down between Hana and Fareeha. Hana’s attention was piqued and she looked curiously into the bag closest to her. There was tissue paper obscuring her view inside the bag and Hana crunched it in apprehension. She gently pulled at the paper as if she was scared to break it.   

“You can pull it out dear,” Ana urged and Hana tore the rest of the paper out. She gasped in delight when she pulled out several different brand-new toys including building blocks, several coloring books and crayons, and a few board games.

“You both didn’t have to…” Angela began to say, but Ana shushed her.

“We wanted to, dear,” she said, watching as Fareeha pulled several different kids outfits, shirts, dresses, pants, leggings, and skirts out of the second bag. “Now you’ll have to have her try them on, and I can return what doesn’t fit.”

“Wow, thank you both. That is very thoughtful of you,” Fareeha said gratefully to her mother. Angela pawed at her wife to see for herself what her mother-in-law bought.

“That’s not all though!” Jesse got up from the table in glee and raced into the living room. Hana watched him excitedly as he came back with several other gift bags hanging from his arms like icicles on a tree branch. “We all wanted to help out!” he set the bags down for Hana to ogle over. Fareeha noticed there was a note on each one stating which friend each gift was from.

Angela’s jaw fell in shock. Hana bounced in her seat and picked up the first bag, a blue one decorated with silver lotus flowers. The tissue paper was meticulously folded inside the bag, the telltale sign it was from Satya. Hana pulled out several kids puzzles, one that had the solar system on it, a second had different sea animals, and another had different shapes.  She “ooed” and “ahhed” at the words she couldn’t read and the shapes and pictures she didn’t recognize.

With the attention span of a gnat Hana tore into the next bag, pulling out a set of little bath boats, foam letters and numbers, and bubble bath. Fareeha read it was from Jamie and Mako so she wasn’t totally surprised when Hana pulled out the small lighter from the same bag. She was quick to snatch it away.

This continued until Hana had quite the collection of stuff. A blanket of the British flag from Lena, read-along books with cute characters from Mei, a videogame from Genji, plastic, kid-friendly dishes from Sombra, a pair of nice headphones from Lúcio, college-level mathematics textbooks from Moira, a play tea-set from Amélie, a teddy bear from Zarya, a princess dress-up set from Ashe, and a toothbrush, toothpaste, and bath towels from Hanzo.

“Babe, I told you to put my name on there too!” Jesse whined after Hana opened the last of the bags.

Hanzo rolled his eyes. “If I recall, you said that ‘picking them up from the airport is a gift in itself,’” he quoted causing Angela to burst into laughter and Jesse to give a pout in return.

“We really can’t thank everyone enough,” Fareeha said to those assembled. Angela already started making out “thank you” letters in her head. Hana was over the moon with all of the new stuff she just got and wanted to play with everything. She tore into the headphones first, sitting them on her head in a perfect fit. Her attention quickly shifted to the building blocks and she ripped those out of the case and started stacking on the table. She continued as if the entire world didn’t exist and it was just her and the toys.

“Well, there’s one more thing from Jack and I,” Gabriel said, standing up to go outside. Hana’s attention was torn away from the toys when he wheeled in a little pink bike. It had purple tassels hanging from the white handlebars, a basket on the front, and training wheels on the back. The little girl squealed and raced to the bike.

“Cool!” she shrieked, trying to jump up on it, struggling to mount the seat correctly. Gabriel bit back a laugh before he picked her up to put her on it. Hana had no idea how to ride a bike but she rested her feet on the pedals. She sat there for a moment, wondering why she wasn’t moving. Before Jack could open his mouth to say anything about riding bikes in the house, Gabriel was already pushing Hana around the room. The little girl giggling like mad the entire time.

Jack sighed in defeat. “There’s a helmet too,” he said, knowing that would be Angela’s next question.

After a few more drinks and light conversation, it was getting late and time for everyone to head home. Hana, who had been playing with all of her new things, was passed out asleep on the floor. All of the excitement from the past two days had completely worn her out. Reinhardt had draped his coat over her, the comically large size of it completely dwarfed the girl.

“I got her.” Fareeha smiled and picked the small girl up. Angela made sure that she had Tokki as well as all of Hana’s new things as Jack led them to the door. He hugged his daughter goodbye, and the new family headed back across the street towards home.

After Hana was put in bed Angela and Fareeha found themselves alone once again in their bedroom. Angela sat in bed staring at the far wall absentmindedly. She couldn’t believe it. Only months ago they were chatting on the back patio about adoption and now there was a little girl sleeping across the hall. Angela was exhausted and nervous as she let out a deep breath when Fareeha crawled into bed.

“We’ll be fine,” Fareeha said and nuzzled into her wife. Angela turned to look at her wife who had a playful smile on her face. After all this time together, Fareeha knew when Angela’s mind was in overdrive.

“How do you know?” Angela’s ice blue eyes went wide as she leaned forward towards her wife. “I hardly knew my mother, and you didn’t have contact with Ana for a majority of your life. Do you really think we’re ready for this? What if Hana needs more than we can give her?” Angela’s words of insecurity came spilling from her mouth and only stopped when Fareeha broke out into laughter. Usually Angela loved hearing her wife laugh; now she just wanted to smack her. “What’s so funny?” Fareeha could see the smoke coming out of her ears.  

“You,” Fareeha said once she caught her breath. “Angie, you worry too much. Everything will be fine,” she snuggled into bed and turned out her bedside lamp. Angela nervously settled into bed as well, suspicious as to how her wife was so confident.

“How can you be so sure?” She asked the darkness. Angela heard the bed sheets rustle as Fareeha turned to look at her.

“Because even if we mess up we have twenty some other people who think they can parent as well as we could, so we’ll just pawn Hana off on one of them,” Fareeha laughed as Angela playfully hit her on the shoulder. Sure, it was a long road ahead of them but Fareeha knew one thing for certain: they wouldn’t be doing this alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we end this chapter of our saga. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around so far and don't worry, there will be more to come soon!


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